Eternal Voice
Licence No. F.2 (E-2) Press/2009 dtd. 6/3/2009
Vol.1 No.1 February-April, 2009 Rs. 100/$10/£5
A Quarterly Magazine of Universal Brotherhood
Eternal Voice
Sewa
Vol. 1
Grammar of Life
No. 1
A Kalgidhar Trust Publication
God-conscious persons
guide the bewildered humanity
to the righteous path...
Kabir sant ki gail naa chhodeeye Maarag laaga jaao
February - April, 2009
(Kabir says, do not leave the company of the God-conscious persons; walk upon the divine footsteps.)
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From the editor’s desk...
“The best lack conviction and the worst are full of passionate
intensity.” This is how W.B. Yeats summed up the world
situation a hundred years ago. He was horrified at the growing
violence and devastation. What Yeats felt immediately after the
First World War, is relevant today too, for the global situation at
present is no different. Violence is ever growing and is taking
diverse forms and intolerance can be seen to prevail
everywhere. Man is becoming increasingly individualistic,
selfish and is relentlessly pursuing materialism. He is losing his
moorings. Traditional values no longer have a central place in
his scheme of things. He is paradoxically threatening his own
survival and existence since the divisive forces are more
pronounced and more powerful than ever before.
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A hundred years earlier to this, the great English poet William
Wordsworth too was as much disturbed at the growing trend of
materialism. Later on, Thomas Hardy, the great novelist was
simply aghast at man's materialistic pursuits. Emerson,
Thoreau, Ruskin and many more great thinkers and
philosophers felt the same at different times.
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How can one get out of this cesspool of individualism? This is
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alone can help us, but men possessing spiritual values are rare
to find. The world abounds in religious leaders, who have
transformed the pursuit of religion into commercial activity. It is
high time that the best of the God-conscious men come forward
to lead humanity, for only then can Man survive. Otherwise the
monster-god, as Yeats envisioned, will take over leaving no
space or scope for redemption.
Eternal Voice was begun a year ago to help spread awareness
about the fundamentals of life that may help in the spread of
peace, bliss and positive self-realization. One year is too short a
period to comment on our humble efforts of pursuing the basic
goal of spreading the virtues of Naam Simran to the 'seekers'. It
is also too short a time to know if any headway or even a
beginning has been made by us in this direction. It is, however,
for our learned readers to tell us if our efforts appear to be like a
flash in the pan or they appear plausible and sustainable.
While thanking you for your whole-hearted support and
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meet your expectations and aspirations. We would greatly value
your feedback, for, it can help us in strengthening our resolve and
in making us believe that we are on the right course.
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2
Eternal Voice
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Feb - April, 2009
3
Contents
One of the largest hydroelectric projects in India.
Mecca of Sikh faith
in the fortress of Pakistan page 32
The 1500 MW (6X250 MW)
Nathpa Jhakri Hydroelectric Project.
Tunnel with a length of 16.42 Kms
and Concrete Dam with a height of 65m
in Himachal Pradesh.
Basic Principles of Buddhism page 36
4
Feedback
..............................................................
8
Need for God-Conscious Persons
..............................................................
This Too Shall Pass
13
..............................................................
Pearls of Wisdom
14
..............................................................
16
Sewa
..............................................................
20
Trust in God
..............................................................
22
The prophet of devotion - Guru Angad Dev
..............................................................
28
Science and Spiritualism
..............................................................
31
Your Weakness
..............................................................
32
Mecca of Sikh faith in the fortress of Pakistan
..............................................................
36
Basic principles of Buddhism
..............................................................
39
I wanted to change the world
..............................................................
Taking care of mother earth - One step at a time 40
..............................................................
44
Haumai
..............................................................
48
Maharani Jindan
..............................................................
52
The book of poems
..............................................................
Banda
Bahadur's Decisive Battle of Chappar Chirri 54
..............................................................
How
much sleep do we need?
58
..............................................................
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60
The Lord - The Super King
..............................................................
Bhai Sahib Bhai Randhir Singh
62
..............................................................
Rembering
the lord all the time
66
..............................................................
Breakfast
with God
68
..............................................................
Grammar
of life
70
..............................................................
Uttarakhand
- Switzerland of India
74
..............................................................
Banda Bahadur's Decisive Battle of Chappar Chirri page 54
Feb - April, 2009
5
For Your Automotive
Spare Parts Needs....
Feedback
Distinctive
Value for money
Santosh Kumar, Kanpur
There may be nothing new in what Eternal Voice is doing, but I think
they are distinctive.
Snehlata Goswami, Kolkata
The articles in Eternal Voice are a treat to read and make the purchase
of the journal a complete Paisa Wasool (value for money).
Teachings from November issue
Equality for women
Harvinder Singh, Hoshiarpur
The November 2008 issue on the tercentenary of Gurta Gaddi of
Guru Granth Sahib was a masterpiece. I have tried to sum up the
contents in my own humble way:
“By contemplation of the 'Word', one gets absorbed in service. By
subduing one's ego, one is deemed to have practised worship, penance
and self-mortification. As Man hears the Lord's Name, he becomes
emancipated while in life. By living true way of life, he obtains eternal
peace.”
Nikki Arora, Amravati
In today's world of dwindling values, here is a top-class magazine,
which is providing a ray of hope. Please take note how women are being
excluded and neglected in every walk of life. If Sikhi has to grow, we
should give women equal opportunities.
Don't ignore youngsters
Ramsimran Singh Rimpi, Mumbai
It is a matter of general concern in the Sikh community that the next
generation is moving away from Sikh religion and family values. Young
Sikh girls are even more vulnerable than the boys. The fault lies
squarely with the passing generation as also the Sikh institutions,
including, regrettably, several less responsible Gurdwara committees.
The reasons are complex because we have failed to put into practice the
teachings of Gurbani regarding the status of women, the equality of
sexes, the disciplined freedom offered by the Sikh way of life.
We cannot afford to ignore what is happening to our youngsters. Please
do something to disseminate message through Eternal Voice as widely
as possible.
The torch-bearer
Gursewak Singh, Jamshedpur
The opportunists' sole aim is to grab cheap publicity, which they do at
the cost of the common man. One hopes that Eternal Voice carries on
the flame till it succeeds in achieving its goal.
6
Eternal Voice
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Lead kindly light
Avtar Singh, Gurgaon
In the hands of narrow-minded self-seeking unimaginative persons,
even humane and pious religious ideals, turn stale and meaningless,
being applied to petty politics.
The mis-thinking of self-seeking intellectuals turns their nations into
jungles of blood-thirsty animals, leading into catastrophic thoughtless
collisions.
Eternal Voice seems to be carrying the torch to take the suffering
humanity out of this morass.
Have your say...
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Mail your feedback at : ev@barusahib.org
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Expectations aplenty
Paramjeet Singh, Delhi
Eternal Voice is a very informative journal. While commending your
efforts, I will suggest you to have the following objectives in mind for
your future publications:
1. Promote Sikhism both internally and externally.
2. Create a network of Sikhs worldwide to share information.
3. Bring in harmony in the community.
4. Strengthen the community and its institutions.
5. Project a positive image of Sikhs in the world.
6. Prepare Sikh youth to take charge for the future.
Kudos for the great effort
Raja Kapoor, Agra
I am grateful to Eternal Voice for getting me interested in Sikh culture,
history, religion and the efforts being made to make the people aware of
the virtues of Sikh way of life, which addresses the Sikh doctrines to the
entire humanity. Eternal Voice can prove to be the best medium to
spread the 'Word' and alleviate any misconceptions about Sikh
religion. I am impressed with the resources and feel great about the
efforts to spread the cause of Sikh heritage. It appears to be a turning
point for Khalsa.
Need for
God-Conscious
Persons
By Sant Teja Singh
M.A. LLB. (Punjab), AM (Harvard, USA)
Kabir sant ki gail naa chhodeeye maarag laaga jaao
Peikhat hee puneet hoye bheitat japeeye naao (1371)
(Kabir says: Do not leave the company of the God-conscious persons; walk upon this Path.
See them and be sanctified; meet them and chant the Name)
Braham giani mukat jugat jee ka data
Braham giani pooran purkh bidhaata (273)
(The God-conscious being is the Divine Master to show the path of salvation.
The God-conscious being is the Perfect Supreme Being, who orchestrates all.)
8
Eternal Voice
E
ver since its creation, the world has always been in
need of prophets, divine messengers, saints and sages
for the uplift of mankind and acquisition of divine peace
by extinguishing the fires of lust, avarice, wrath and
vanity from human hearts. From the very beginning, such
divinely inspired persons have from time to time come to
the stage of this universe to perform their destined roles
and to accomplish their divinely ordained missions. They
themselves sing spiritual hymns and meditate on the
Divine Name and inspire others to do the same. They,
thus, guide the materially bewildered humanity to the
right path.
India has attained a very high status in the realm of spiritualism
and this country is known as the land of great saints and sages
(Gurus, Rishis and Munis). Besides Lord Rama, Krishna,
Vashisht, Prehlad and Buddha, in ancient times, many great
saints like Kabir, Namdev, Ravidas, Farid and several others
have blessed this land in the recent past. The ten Gurus (from
Guru Nanak to Guru Gobind Singh) have created a spiritual
revolution, which has inspired even the downtrodden and
commoners to tread the divine path. Their teachings are
relevant even in today's world, rather more than ever before.
They blessed mankind with the gift of the Divine Name.
Those, who realized the divine within, were called Gurmukhs
and were ordained to show the divine path to seekers of the
ultimate Truth.
Guru Nanak blessed a thief Bhumia to attain Godconsciousness through meditation on the Divine Name and
directed him to guide others to do so. Similarly, Bhai Lalo (a
poor carpenter), Salis Rai Jauhari, Adhraka Golam, Jhanda
Baadi, Devloot (King of demons), Kauda Rakash, Raja Shiv
Nav (The King of Lakshdweep Islands) and many others were
blessed by Guru Nanak with the Divine grace and were
bestowed with the authority to show the path of spiritual
realization to seekers of the truth. Guru Amar Das established
22 Manjis (divine seats or centers) and 52 Pirhies (divine
sub-seats) - two-tier spiritual seats of God-conscious persons for
showing the path of God realization to the mankind through
meditation on the Divine Name. The tenth Guru authorized
Bhai Nand Lal (a great saintly poet), Sahib Ram Kaur (Baba
Gurbaksh Singh after baptism with Amrit), Bhai Mani Singh,
a great martyr, whose body was cut into pieces bit by bit and
other God-conscious Sikhs to show the path of God realization
within to the seekers of Truth. Guru Gobind Singh in one of his
verses says:
Khalsa mero satgur poora, Khalsa mero sajjan soora (Guru Gobind Singh)
{Khalsa (who has become one with God) is my perfect true
Divine Master (the teacher, who is God-conscious and sees
Him both within and without) and Khalsa is my affectionate
divine friend.}
The tenth Master adds in Sarab Loh Granth:
Aatam ras jeh janeha so hai khaalas dev
Prabh meh mo meh taas meh ranchak naahan bhaev (Guru Gobind Singh)
{(He, who has realized the God within, becomes one with the
Divine. There is not a trace of spiritual difference between God,
myself (Guru Gobind Singh) and Khalsa (who has realized God
within)}
Guru Gobind Singh further enunciates the definition and the
characteristics of the Khalsa (the God-conscious person):
Jaagat jyot japai nis baasur Eik bina mann naik naa aanai
Pooran prem parteet sajaai Brat gaur marrie matt bhool naa manai
Tirath daan daya tap sanjam Eik bina neh eik pachhane
Puran jyot jagai ghatt mein Tab Khaalas tahe naa Khaalas jaanai.
(Guru Gobind Singh)
{He, who meditates on the all-pervading Divine Light day in and
day out and discards all else from his mind, never severes from
the thought of one God from his mind.
He, who is full of love, devotion and confidence in God, does not
put his faith, even unconsciously, in fasting or the graves of
Muslim saints, Hindu crematoria or hermits and monasteries.
He, who recognizes only one God needs no pilgrimages, alms
giving, non-destruction of life, penances, austerities or
self-restraint.
Such a blessed person, within whom shines the radiant light of the
perfect Divine One, is then only called spiritually true and pure
one, i.e., the Khalsa (the God-conscious person.)}
There is but one all embracing
and All powerful Divinity.
He can be realized through
the grace of the guru
(God-conscious teacher).
Feb - April, 2009
9
Similarly, Guru Granth Sahib also stresses upon the need for
the God-conscious persons for all the seekers of truth:
Jo jo joonee aa-i-o tih tih urjhaa-i-o maanas janam sanjog paa-i-aa.
Taa kee hai oat saadh raakhau de kar haath kar kirpaa melhau har raa-i-aa.
Anik janam bharam thitt nahee paa-ee.
Kar-au sewa gur laag-au charan govind jee kaa maarag deh-au jee bataa-ee.
(Rahaa-o)
Anik upaav kar-au maa-i-aa kau bachit dhar-au meree meree karat sad
hee vihaavai.
Ko-ee aiso re bhete sant meree laah-ai sagal chint thaakur si-o meraa rang
laav-ai.
Parh-ei re sagal be-id nah chook-ai mann bhe-id ik khin naa dheer-ih
mer-ei ghar ke panchaa.
Ko-ee aiso re bhagat jo maa-i-aa te rehat ik amrit naam mer-ei rid-ai sinchaa.
Jete re tirath nhaa-ei ahan-budh me-il laa-ei ghar ko thaakur ik til naa
maan-ai.
Kad paav-au saadhsang har har sadaa aanand gi-aan anjan meraa mann
isnaan-ai.
Sagal aasram keen-ei manoo-aa nah pateen-ei bibek heen dehee dho-ei.
Ko-ee paa-ee-ai re purkh bidhaataa paarbaraham kai rang raataa mer-ei
mann kee durmat mal kho-ei.
Karam dharam jugtaa nimakh naa heit kartaa garab garab parh-ei kahee
naa lekh-ei.
Jis bhetee-ai safal moorat kar-ei sadaa keerat gur parsaad ko-oo netrauh
pekh-ei.
Mannhatth jo kamaav-ei til naa lekh-ei paav-ei bagul ji-o dhi-aan laav-ei
maa-i-aa re dhaaree.
Ko-ee aiso re sukheh daa-ee prabh kee kathaa sunaa-ee tis bhete gat ho-e
hamaaree.
Suparsanh gopaal raa-e kaat-ei re bandhan maa-e gur ke sabad meraa
mann raataa.
Sadaa sadaa aanand bheti-o nirbhai Gobind sukh Nanak laadh-ei har
charan paraataa.
Safal safal bha-ee safal jaatraa.
Aavan jaan rahe mil-ei saadhaa. (Rahaa-o dooja) (686-687)
{All the living beings that come into existence are entangled in the
worldly affairs according to their nature of birth, but human life
is supreme which is obtained only with the grace of God. The
Guru says:
O' Divine Master, I have taken your refuge. Kindly provide me
your divine shelter and protection (from the worldly ego and
attachments) and shower your Grace and blessings to make me
one with the divine truth.
After wandering through innumerable births, still we have not
attained spiritual bliss. I serve the Guru and I fall at his feet,
praying, O Dear Lord of the Universe, please, show me the way.
10
Eternal Voice
So far, all my efforts have been to acquire and cherish the worldly
wealth and have always been craving for this and thereby have
been entangled in it all the time. I pray that I may be blessed with
the company of such a God-conscious person, who may help me
to get rid of all my worldly anxieties and make me enshrine the
love for the Almighty.
After studying the Vedas, I could not get my doubts cleared about
the divine truth. My mind always remained over-powered by the
five evils of lust, anger, greed, attachment and ego. I yearn for the
He, who faithfully follows
and practices the teachings
of the God-conscious person,
overcomes the five evils of lust,
anger, greed, attachment and
ego, by His Grace.
grace of the divine person, free from all the worldly attachments,
who may bless me with the nectar of the Divine Name.
The more I bathe at the pilgrimages, the more I gather the dirt of
ego and arrogance and remain always indifferent to God. I am
ever-longing for the company of the blessed one, always having
the grace of the Divine Name within, so that my mind gets
immersed in the spiritual bliss.
I have practiced all the religious rituals but my mind did not get
the Divine solace, because I only used to clean the body devoid of
the divine love. May I get a chance to have the company of a Godconscious person imbibed with the supreme Lord's love, who shall
eradicate the evil and filthy impressions from my mind?
A person, who is attached to the pseudo-religious rituals, is
worthless. He does not have the divine love even for a moment and
is always puffed up with excessive ego. He, who comes in the
company of the Divine Master always sings the glory of the Lord,
gets divine wisdom of seeing One-in-all and All-in-one by His
grace.
Trying to attain occult powers for acquiring worldly wealth is of
no avail for acquiring divine virtues. Such a person is just like a
crane, which feigns undergoing severe penance by standing on
one leg but is still full of greed and craving to catch the fish. Is
there any God-conscious person, who can bestow upon me (the
seeker of Truth), the divine peace by reciting the holy hymns of
God? I long for such pious company for spiritual bliss.
As soon as my mind got engrossed in the holy teachings of the
Divine Master, the Almighty Lord showered all His blessings and
freed me from the bonds of worldly evils. Nanak says that with
humble submission and meditation on the Divine Name, one
always gets imbued with the eternal bliss.
My life's pilgrimage became extremely fruitful, as I got
salvation from the cycle of birth and rebirth through the grace
of my Divine Master.}
The Guru ordains us to follow and respect the
God-conscious person:
Kar saadhu anjali punn wadaa hae Kar dandaut punn wadda hae (13)
(To make obeisance with folded hands and to completely submit
unto the one, who has realized God within and without, is an act
of divine merit.)
Charan saadh ke dho-e dho-e pee-o Arp saadh ko apnaa jee-o
Saadh kee dhoor kar-hau isnaan Saadh oopar jaa-ee-ai kurbaan (283)
(The seeker after truth should completely submit to the God
conscious person and devotedly follow His divine teachings.
Decimate your ego, and engross thyself in Divine Humility.
Sacrifice thyself to the Holy, i.e., kill thy identity and merge thyself
into the Divine Light.)
Saadh ke sang nahee kachh ghall Darsan bhetat hoat nihaal (272)
(In the company of the saints, if one follows the divine teachings
in letter and spirit, he is not required to put his body to various
sufferings and stresses, i.e., Jap-Tap in the name of God for getting
salvation. One attains spiritual bliss by beholding and meeting
the Divine Master, i.e., by complete submission to His Divine
commands and following these in letter and spirit.)
Jae ko bachan kamma-wai santan kaa So gurparsaadi taree-ei (747)
(He, who faithfully follows and practices the teachings of God
conscious persons, gets salvation from ego and becomes divine by
His Grace.)
The God-conscious persons
have crossed the worldly ocean
of ego and lust by realizing God
within and have become eligible
for showing and leading the
spiritual path to others through
recitation of Guru Granth Sahib
with full devotion.
Paarbraham saadh ridh bas-ei Nanak udhre saadh sunn ras-ei (272)
(Nanak says that he, who listens in ecstasy, the teachings of the
holy, is liberated, because the supreme Lord resides in the heart of
the God-conscious person.)
Nanak kahat sunho re logaa Sant rassan ko basah-ee-au (700)
(Nanak says, O' people! listen, the Divine Lord dwells on the
tongue of saints. That the saints are the true messengers of the
Divine Lord.)
We all know well that for learning any kind of trade, whether it is
of blacksmith or carpenter, there is a need of a teacher-taught
relationship. In education, there is need for a person better
educated than the one who wants to learn. In the same way, for
seekers of truth, there is a need for the company of Godconscious persons.
Depending upon his intelligence and devotion, the student can
himself learn to a certain extent from the worldly books, but for
understanding of specific points, he needs the help of a teacher.
In the same way, every seeker of the ultimate Truth, depending
upon his love for God, can have to that extent an understanding
of the divine path through the recitation of Gurbani, but for
insight of some special spiritual points, there is always a need for
the company of God-conscious persons, who have moulded
their lives in accordance with the teachings of Gurbani and the
Gurmukhs, who have become one with God by completely
shedding off their ego:
Gur ka bachan bas-ei ji naal-ei.
Jal nahee doob-ei taskar nahee lev-ei Bhaah-ei naa saak-ei jaal-ei. (679)
(I have acquired the Divine Wealth by following and practicing
the Divine Teachings of my Guru in letter and spirit. Neither the
water can wash away this wealth nor the fire can burn it and nor
a thief can steal it.)
The God-conscious persons have crossed the worldly ocean of
ego and lust by realizing God within and have become eligible for
showing and leading the spiritual path to others through
recitation of Guru Granth Sahib with full devotion:
Sansaa eho sansaar hai Suti-aa re-in vihaa-ei (36)
(The world is an illusion but everybody has taken it as real
and has thus got entangled in this. Nobody is trying to realize
the Divine Truth and rather spends his entire life in the
illusionary sleep.)
To get salvation from worldly bondage, i.e., five evils {Kaam
(lust), Krodh (anger), Lobh (greed), Moh (attachment), Ahankaar
(ego)}, the God-conscious persons viz., the saints, sages and
seers give guidance to the seekers of Truth in the same way as
an experienced pilot of a ship raises buoys after thorough
search in the sea for a safe passage of the ship, which reaches
safely if it passes through the signs of these buoys; otherwise it
Feb - April, 2009
11
may get wrecked by striking against hidden stones and rocks or
may even be caught in sand or swamps.
In education, there is need for a
person better educated than the
one who wants to learn. In the
same way, for seekers of truth,
there is a need for the company
of God-conscious persons.
The point is very clear and is in accordance with the spiritual
guidance of Sikhism. Gurmukhs (the God-conscious persons)
have been preaching Gurmat from the very beginning and
providing guidance to the commoners under the holy
command of Guru Nanak and other Gurus from time to time.
In the same way, the Gurmukhs under command of Guru
Granth Sahib, the Eternal Guru, are carrying out the Divine
Mission and the Gurmat preaching according to the Divine
Order (Ilahi Hukam):
Guru Arjan showers accolades on such type of spiritually
engrossed God-conscious persons:
Jo jaanai tis sadaa sukh ho-e Aap milaa-e la-ei prabh so-e
Oh dhanwant kulwant patwant Jeewan mukat jis ridd-ei bhagwant
Dhan dhan dhan jann aa-i-aa Jis parsaad sabh jagat traa-i-aa
Jann aawan kaa ih-ei suaao Jann ke sang chitt aav-ei naao
Aap mukat mukat kar-ei sansaar Nanak tis jann kau sadaa namaskaar (294)
(He, who realizes Him, obtains eternal peace. The Lord blends
him with Himself. He, who has realized the God within, is
wealthy, of status, honorable and attains salvation. Highly
acclaimed is the advent of a God-conscious person. With Thy
Grace, the entire mankind has been shown the divine path to
realize the Divine Truth. The Almighty has sent the Godconscious person with the sole aim and objective of inspiring
mankind to follow the divine path and meditate on the Divine
Name. Nanak ever makes an obeisance to him, who himself is
emancipated and also emancipates the world.)
To attain the divine, we need to follow and submit to the
God-conscious persons:
Mann hatth budhee ketee-aa ket-ei baid beechaar
Ket-ei bandhan jee-a ke gurmukh mokhduaar
Sach-au oar-ai sabh ko uppar sach aachaar (62)
{Many persons intentionally undergo physical sufferings and
hardships by doing Hatha Yoga to realize the Divine Truth. Many
others are analyzing the Divine Truth with intellect and so many
others contemplate Vedas to attain the Divine Truth. There are so
many other types of rituals being performed for the soul, but they
remain away from reality and divine path. One gets salvation
from all these entanglements only through the complete
submission of himself to the God-conscious Being (Guru). The
Divine Truth is the highest of all virtues, but higher still is the
living with the Divine Truth.}
Guru Sikh Sikh Guru hai Eiko Gur updes chalaai
Ram Naam mant hirdai dei-vai Nanak milan sobhaai (444)
{When the Sikh follows the Divine teachings of the Guru with intense
love and devotion, he kills his ego and identity and becomes one
with his Divine Master (the Guru). Thus, in spiritual realm, there
remains no spiritual difference between the disciple and the
preceptor. Such a divine disciple disseminates the same teachings to
other seekers of the Ultimate Truth, as the preceptor himself.}
Guru Nanak says that He inculcates the Divine Name in the
subconscious mind of the disciple, who merges himself with the
Divine by reciting the Divine Name:
Jan Nanak dhoorh mangai tis gursikh ki
Jo aap japai av-reh naam japaav-ei (306)
(Nanak says, strictly follow the path shown by the God-conscious
person, who himself meditates on the Divine Name and shows
others the path of doing so.)
12
Eternal Voice
How can there be peace
and calm in us if we do not
follow the commands of
the holy Masters, i.e., the
God-conscious persons?
The Divine Word (Gurbani), the Divine Name and the Divine
One, are one and the same. Thus Gurbani is the source of the
divine nectar. The one, who follows and practices Gurbani
realizes the manifestation of God both within and without.
More than ever before, there is need of God-conscious persons
in today's materialistic life, where people are simply engaged in
rat-race for acquisition of worldly wealth and comforts. They are
just oblivious of the true goal of life. How can there be peace and
calm in us if we do not follow the commands of the holy Masters,
i.e., the God-conscious persons?
Essence of Sikhi
BSR
Divine Truth is not subject to any factual verification.
However, speaking about it without conviction or merely to
impress others, or as a mere stratagem, is as vicious as
telling lies. In the spiritual realm, truth is a lived reality.
Nothing that is stated without being a part of the lived
experience, however, erudite or learned, otherwise can be
called Truth. Truthful living alone qualifies one to be
spokesperson of Truth. What one does, carries significance.
The liar is one, who does not live what one preaches or
teaches. However, truth-based one's teachings or
preachings may be, if the teacher's own life is not lived
accordingly, the teacher will be reckoned to be a liar, telling
lies. Such teaching is unreliable.
This Too
Shall Pass
A Short Story
O
ne morning, the boy Solomon saw the
goldsmith who works for King David's
Palace walk out of the palace very desperate and
sad. Solomon asked the goldsmith with curiosity,
what makes you feel so sad and desperate?
The goldsmith answered, "I have to provide a
solution to the King within seven days. If not I
will be taken out of my job. I am really confused
because there is no solution for what the King
has asked."
What is the solution that the King is looking for?
Solomon was curious.
The goldsmith presented the demand of the King
to Solomon as follows:
"I need to make a gold ring for the king with an
inscription on it which should help the king not to
be very happy and forget the divine truth at his
happy moments. At the same time the inscriptions
on it should help him not to lose his heart when he
is facing failures and desecrations."
Immediately Solomon gave what he needs to
inscribe on it. He said write as follows:
"This too shall pass."
Feb - April, 2009
13
(ii) Physical service:
Pearls of Wisdom
Part-IV
By Sant Teja Singh
M.A. LLB. (Punjab), AM (Harvard)
Bin sewa dhrig hath pe-ir hor nehfal karni (Bhai Gurdas)
(If one does not render divine service, his hands and feet are
worthless. So also the deeds performed with them.)
Physical service is greater than material service. A man must
always seek the company of the God-conscious persons to do
so. Didn't Guru Amar Das render selfless service to his master
at the age of sixty-two?
(iii) Inner service:
1877-1965
No doubt, the material and physical services purify a man's
mind. But a truly blessed person is the one, who is completely
immersed in his Lord through 'Word' (Shabad Guru), i.e., by
reciting the Divine Name all the time.
(1 to 6 appeared in the November 2008 issue of Eternal Voice)
7
Mahapurkhan de bachan kamaana tapan sirr
tapp hai
(Following the words of the Holy is the highest form
of meditation)
One can easily swim across the ocean of the world with the
words of the Guru on his lips. He can elevate himself to a higher
pedestal, if he is blessed by the holy men:
9
Sewa karan naal mann nirmal hund-aa hai,
gareebee aundee hai at-ei mann shabad naal
jurhdaa hai
(Selfless Service ennobles a man by purifying his mind.
It imbues a man with humbleness and enjoins him to His Word)
Selfless service is of three types:
How aptly Bhagat Namdev sums up man's duties in the
following words:
Haath paanv kar kaam sab Cheet niranjan naal (1376)
(Doing worldly deeds, always remain in tune with the Divine Lord.)
He alone reaches the Pinnacle of spiritual bliss who keeps
climbing the stairs of life step by step.
(i) To serve materially:
Santau saagar paar utaree-ei
Je ko bachan kamaav-ei santan kaa Sau Gurparsaadi taree-ei (747)
(O Saints, cross over the life's turbulent ocean. One, who practices
the teachings of the Saints, by Guru's Grace, is carried across.)
Bhai Lehna followed Guru Nanak in letter and spirit - so much
so that he got transformed from an ordinary village trader to a
God-conscious man. He became one with Him and attained a
higher state of being. Finally he was anointed Guru.
8
Hameshaa doosr-ei de gunn at-ei aapn-ei
augunn dekhn-ei
(Always look for what is good in others and what is unsavory in
your own self)
Ghaal khaaye kichh hathon de-i Nanak raah pachhane se-i (1245)
(The Guru ordains that a man must earn his livelihood honestly
with hardwork and give some part of his earnings in charity.
Only then will he find the spiritual path to tread on.)
10
Guru ghar di sewa di pundd sirr taun nahee
suttnee chaaheedee bhav-ein iss hei-thaan hee
kyon naa kuchl-ei jaa-ee-ei
11
Saadaa nirbaah karnaa, saadaa bhojan
chhaknaa at-ei saadaa pehnana
(Follow the principle of simple living and divine thinking)
Always lead a simple life by eating a simple food and wearing a
simple dress. Whenever food is served, even if it is tasteless,
it should be taken as a divine gift considering it as His blessings.
One should not be a greedy of sumptous food.
According to Gurbani, simple living means to remain humble
and thankful to God, who provides everything for the basic
needs of all. Thus one should lead the life according to the divine
law as enunciated in Guru Granth Sahib:
Chhaadan bhojan kee aas naa kar-ee Achint mil-ei so paa-ei (1013)
(One should not desire to wear costly attractive dresses and
eating sumptuous foods. He should rather be grateful for
whatever God provides and be merry.)
12
Pakarh naa rakh ke jo kaaraj sahmane aavey
auh guru ka samajh ke utshaah naal kar-ei
(Render selfless service dutifully without desiring any rewards
as if it is the divine order)
Whatever job is assigned to him, he should carry out the same
by considering it to be his Divine Master's command. Without
having any attachment with it, he should perform the same with
full devotion and without questioning the rationale of the
assigned task, thinking that it is his divine duty:
Hau moorakh kaar-ei laa-ee-aa Naanak har kamm-ei. (449)
(Never shed the divine service even if you have to pay a
heavy price)
(I am just incompetent, O Nanak, but the Lord has appointed me
to perform His service.)
One should not shed the divine service even if he is worldly
crushed and rendered poor:
This is the act of one's divine humility. Leave the outcome of
the assigned task to the Almighty and never desire the fruits
in return:
Tayree bhagat na chhoda-o ki-aa ko hasai. (1170)
(I shall not renounce Your worship, O Lord; what does it matter if
people laugh at me?)
Karam karat hovai nihkaram tis baisno kaa nirmal dharam (274)
(Performing good deeds, he does not seek rewards. Spotlessly pure
is the religion of such a devoted seeker of truth.)
It is human nature to look for shortcomings in others:
After performing good deeds, one should pray to the Lord that
he has not done anything, You have got it done by him.
Farida je tu akkal lateef kaale likh naa lekh
Aapanre girbaan mein sirr neevan kar dekh (1378)
According to Hindu philosophy, this is called Karma Yoga
as enunciated by Lord Krishna in Bhagwad Gita:
Hum nahee changae buraa nahee ko-ei Pranvat Nanak taar-ei so-ei (728)
(One should do one's duty and not seek or get concerned
about the outcome or the reward from having truthfullyperformed duty.)
(Farid opines that a wise man should not find egoistic faults in
others. He should look within his own self and see what he himself
is, so that he overcomes all these faults.)
Karamanye vaadhikaraste maa phaleshu kadaachan
(Anyone, who believes and practices that he is not good and none
other is bad, Nanak says the grace of God helps him to overcome
the turbulence of life.)
To be continued...
Feb - April, 2009
15
“If I can stop a heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain.
If I can ease one life of the aching, Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin Unto the nest again,
I shall not live in vain.” - Emily Dickinson
Service by wealth involves sharing the fruits of selfless hard
work. In other words, share Daswandh (at least one tenth of
your honest earnings) and dedicate it to the Guru for the benefit
of the needy and underprivileged. This is a pre-requisite to follow
the path of Sikhi leading to the Divine:
Sewa (selfless service) simply implies service without
consideration, expectation of reward or anticipation of the result
of service:
Service by the body means working with hands and feet for the
welfare of mankind. For instance, cleaning and dusting the
shoes of the Saadh Sangat, washing utensils, cooking and
serving Langar, taking care of the sick and the needy, providing
a helping hand in the construction of religious places or facilities
for the society and other deeds performed physically.
Satgur ki sewa gaakhree Sirr deejay aap gavaaye (27)
(It is very difficult to serve the True Guru. Surrender your ego; give
up your selfishness.)
Sewa
Baba Iqbal Singh highlights the path of spirituality
Man is the most superior of the animal species blessed with the
power of intellect and the responsibility to guide its destiny.
Selfless service plays a significant role for the seeker, who
wishes to tread on the path of spirituality. Most religions of the
world propagate service to humanity as a means to achieve the
final objective of realization of the divine. Gurbani lays stress on
suppressing vices by selfless service and thereby following the
divine path to merge with the Lord:
Satt santokh kar bhaa-o tosaa harnaam se-i
Manhau chhod vikaar sacchaa sacch de-i (422)
(Those who practice truth, contentment and love, obtain the
supplies of the Lord's name.
So banish corruption from your mind and the True One will
grant you truth.)
Gurbani further emphasizes that all forms of austerity,
denouncing the world and residing in forests, caves and
mountains and torturing the human body are no match to the
service of the Lord, which is supreme, by way of kindness,
contentment and truthful living:
Satt santokh dayaa kamaav-ei eh karnee saar (51)
(Practice truth, contentment and kindness; this is the essence of life.)
Through selfless service, humility and love, the mind is purified
and the ego is decimated, paving way for its merging with the
divine. According to Sikhi, there are three types of services that
are central to the attainment of Atam-pad (divine grace). These
are, service by wealth, body and mind (Dhann, Tann, Mann).
The service by wealth brings renunciation to the mind and the
attraction of materialism lessens. The individual starts
becoming detached to the external material world and focuses
on the divine, entering the state of Vairaag (detachment). The
next is the service by body, which enables man to transcend the
joys and sorrows of the body, making an effort towards
suppressing the ego and focusing on dedication on the Divine
Name. The highest service is that of the mind {to make the
Atma (conscious) a follower of the Shabad Guru}. Through this
the individual surrenders his identity towards becoming one
with the Lord.
16
Eternal Voice
Bin sewa dhrig hath pe-ir hor nehfal karni. (Bhai Gurdas)
(If one does not render divine service, his hands and feet are
worthless. So also the deeds performed with them.)
Ser vice of the mind is to distract the mind from vices of
lust, anger, greed, attachment and ego and to unite the mind
with Shabad Guru present within and to accept the Lord's
Will gracefully.
Sev keetee santokh-ee jinee sacho sach dhiaa-i-aa
Oanee mand-ei pe-ir naa rakhio kar sukrit dharam kamaa-i-aa. (466)
(Those who serve are content. They meditate on the Truest of the
True. They do not place their feet in sin, but perform good deeds
and live righteously.)
By rendering selfless service of wealth, body and mind and
meditating on the divine name, one attains the spiritual grace of
merging with the divine.
All the spiritually self-enlightened men of the world have
achieved union with God only through the service of the body,
mind and wealth. The epitome of selfless service to humanity,
the great Bhai Lehna attained such heights of selfless service
that from an ordinary village trader, he became the second
Nanak, before whom even Guru Nanak circumambulated five
times and bowed his head. Whereas, during his Udasis (four
phases of Guru Nanak's spiritual travels) spanning 25 years,
Guru Nanak did not bow his head before anyone. The power of
selfless service and imbibing the preaching of the Guru was so
great that the Guru (reflection of the Formless) says before an
ordinary humble man, “I am not bowing to your physical body,
but before that divine flame of the Formless Almighty that has
marked its presence within you.” Likewise, the remaining Gurus
became Guru Nanak by serving their Guru and learning their
preaching and by surrendering their mind, body and wealth to
the Guru.
Bhai Kanhaiya is a shining example of selfless service to
humanity with no distinction of nationality, caste or creed. Aptly
known as the 'fore-runner of the modern Red Cross', his
universal message of compassion and kindness to all have few
parallels in history.
Feb - April, 2009
17
Sewa karat ho-ei nihkaami Tis kao ho-at praapat suamee. (286)
(One who performs selfless service, without desire for reward
attains to the Lord.)
Treat all equally
To serve the entire mankind equally without discrimination;
render help and assistance to everybody without prejudice and
make no distinction between friend and foe.
Serve with compassion and love
We should treat even our fallen enemies (when they do not
have their swords drawn) with respect, compassion, humility
and love.
The five weapons
The philosophy of Bhai Kanhaiya's universal message of
compassion and kindness, as enshrined in Guru Granth Sahib
continues to be as relevant today as it was three centuries ago
and will continue to be relevant for all times to come:
Bisr gayee sab taat prayee Jab te saadh sangat mohe payee
Naa ko bairee nahee biganaa Sagal sang hum kau ban aayee (1299)
(I have completely forgotten the jealousy of others since I found
the company of holy persons. No one is my foe and no one is alien,
I get along with every one.)
The following points are the pre-requisite for Sewa:
Serve selflessly
We should serve humanity selflessly, without any consideration,
with complete dedication, with an open mind and see the Divine
in all. Then only can we attain Lord:
Use the five weapons to destroy the five internal thieves
or the vices i.e., Kaam (lust), Krodh (anger), Lobh (greed),
Moh (attachment) and Ahankaar (ego). The five weapons
are deep level of compassion (Dayaa/Karuna), complete
compliance to truth (Sat), inner contentment (Santokh),
overflowing humility (Nimrata) and total love (Pyaar).
Share with others
To share one's wealth with the needy and reduce their suffering
and pain. Remember the three pillars of Sikhism – Naam Japo;
Kirat Karo and Wand Chhako.
Bhagat Puran Singh is one of the most prominent Sikh
personalities of the last century embodying the religion of
selfless service. He dedicated his entire adulthood to the
selfless service of terminal and mentally ill patients, who in
most cases had been abandoned by their families and society
at large. He dedicated his life for providing a ray of hope for
these desperate patients. His life is a story of great personal
sacrifice; a dogged determination against huge problems; a
passion for selfless service; complete faith and surrender to
He remained an avid collector throughout his life and collected
'human pebbles' from the streets and housed them in
Pingalwara. He collected funds, in driblets rather than droves, to
run it. He collected all the purposeful articles from the
newspapers and magazines on economy, environment, public
health, population, etc., got booklets of these published and
distributed them free of cost. The front page of newspapers
never interested him. It was amazing to see how his eyes went
straight to reports and write-ups dealing with human problems
and welfare. He lived all his life for others and packed 72 hours of
activity in a normal day.
Mother Teresa, the angel of mercy, is another glorious example
of selfless service. A European lady by birth, she chose the
slums of Kolkata to serve the homeless and unwanted people of
society. By serving the poor, she served God. She had, in her
own words, a mission to care: “The hungry, the naked, the
homeless, the crippled, the blind, the lepers, all those who feel
unwanted, unloved, uncared in the society - people that appear
to be burden to society and are shunned by everyone.” She
devoted her entire life to such people. She set up the 'Mission of
Charity' with just 13 members. Today it has more than 4,000
nuns running orphanages and destitute homes worldwide,
caring for refugees, the blind, disabled, aged, alcoholics, the poor
and homeless and victims of floods and natural disasters. The
Mother concludes:
“If you cannot feed a hundred people, then just feed one”
To carry out whatever Sewa that we are able to and help make
life comfortable for anyone who is hurt, in pain, is suffering or
otherwise. This is an important aspect of Sikhism's twopronged dedication to God i.e., Simran and Sewa.
In her early days at a press conference, a reporter asked Mother
Teresa, “What will you achieve serving a few people, when there
are millions uncared for? Your work is like a drop in the ocean.”
She humbly replied, “I agree my work is like a drop in the ocean,
but is it also not true that the ocean will be one drop more with
my work?” The mother appears to be telling the society:
The central theme of Bhagwad Gita is to serve humanity
without attachment or ego. Lord Krishna says, “Your duty is
only to work and not look for the fruits thereof.” A Karma Yogi
should be absolutely free from greed, attachment, lust, anger
and ego. Only then he can render useful selfless service.
The path of Karma Yoga eventually leads to attainment of the
Divine. The whole essence of Bhagwad Gita has been very aptly
summed up by Guru Arjan Dev in Sukhmani Sahib:
(Performing good deeds, he does not seek rewards. Spotlessly pure
is the religion of such a devoted seeker of truth; he has no desire
for the fruits of his labors. He is absorbed in devotional worship
and the singing of Kirtan, the songs of the Lord's Glory.)
Be good, do good and after performing good deeds, one should
pray to the Almighty that he has not done anything, You have got
it done by him. This is the essence of the teachings of all
scriptures and prophets of the world.
Eternal Voice
Selfless service requires personal action by the individual, a
desire to pack up and start. It is easy to give away excess money,
used equipment, and used clothing. It is more difficult to give off
our time and personal presence to help others.
the powerful Almighty and unending love for the suffering
beings of the world.
Sewa
Karam karat hove neh karam Tis baisno kaa nirmal dharam
Kaahu phal kee ichhaa nahee banchhe Kewal bhagat kirtan sang raache (274)
18
Those, who want inner bliss are very few. All crave for worldly
happiness, but no one knows where he can get it. All search for it
in wealth and material possessions. Maaya (illusion) never
allows people to taste the bliss of the inner life i.e., the Atma
(soul). Deluded by its power, man thinks that there is no
transcendental realm, that there is nothing beyond the senses.
'Eat, drink and be merry' has become the motto of life for a vast
majority. The path to the realm of God is open only to those,
who have been endowed with Divine Grace.
Nirdaya naheen jyot ujaala boodat boodai sarab janjaala (903)
(You have no compassion; the Lord's light does not shine in you.
You are drowned, drowned in worldly entanglements.)
Sewa and Simran are the two wheels of a chariot leading to the
spiritual goal of merging with the divine. In fact, they play a
complimentary role, Sewa leading to Simran and Simran leading
to Sewa. Through Sewa, the seeker experiences humility,
gratitude, love and compassion. Simran (remembering God)
makes the mind pure. It helps man to imbibe God-like qualities
and traits. Love for God is love for humanity. The seeker with the
love for humanity engages in service to humanity. There are
many pitfalls on the path of Sewa if not done selflessly. Pride,
name and fame negate the fruits of Sewa.
Sewa is that hard currency, which is recognized in the abode of
the Lord. The magic of Sewa cannot be explained but
experienced. All three forms of Sewa - Dhann, Tann and
Feb - April, 2009
19
Mann - enable Man to transcend the joys and sorrows of the
body, turn successful in decimating the ego so that the
individual surrenders his identity towards becoming one with
the Lord, which is Man's goal of life, as enshrined in Guru
Granth Sahib:
Bha-ee paraapat maanukh dehuree-aa.
Gobind milan kee ih teree baree-aa. (12)
(This human body has been given to you. It is your chance to meet
the Lord of the Universe, i.e., to realize the One, who sustains the
universe.)
Trust in God
By Chitranshu Mishra
I asked for Strength
And God gave me Difficulties to make me strong.
I asked for Wisdom
Essence of Sikhi
BSR
And God gave me Problems to solve.
I asked for Prosperity
And God gave me Brain and Brawn to work.
I asked for Courage
And God gave me Danger to overcome.
I asked for Love
Truthful living becomes the nature mode of one who lives
in the awareness of being one with the One. The individual
self undergoes a process of expansion that subsumes all
categories. All signs, names, labels, that define one's
isolated, personal, individual identity, have no more
relevance. All the values associated with the Cosmic begin
to reverbrate in such a one. Beyond intellectual grasp,
beyond sensuous perception, beyond any defining
modules, beyond all classificatory species of subgroups,
one begins to shimmer with the quintessential and core
values that encompass one and all. This the only way one
can know the unknowable.
20
Eternal Voice
And God gave me Troubled people to help.
I asked for Favors
And God gave me Opportunities.
I received nothing I wanted
I received everything I needed.
58, Hemkunt Colony, Greater Kailash - I, Opposite Nehru Place, New Delhi - 110 048
Ph.: 91-11-46557367 Email: abuagam@gmail.com
Timing: 10a.m. - 1p.m. and 5p.m. - 8p.m. (On Sunday by appointment)
Shop No. 3, Local Shopping Complex DDA, Gulmohar Park, Near Gulmohar Park Club, New Delhi - 110 049,
Ph.: 91-11-26531214, 26531215
Timing: 9.30a.m. - 12.30p.m. and 3p.m. - 8p.m. (On Sunday by appointment)
The prophet of devotion
G
uru Angad Dev, the first successor of Guru Nanak, did
yeoman's work for the evolution of the nascent
community. Over a hundred units of Sangat (local
congregation of disciples) came to be set up during his
pontificate. Langar, the free community kitchen, was
organized on an impressive scale. A new script, later to be
called Gurmukhi, was updated and popularized, which was
also employed to improve the level of public literacy. Seeds of
martial spirit were sown by organizing competitions in
wrestling and other physical skills among the youth. All these
activities were going to determine the evolution of the Sikh
community and the Sikh faith.
Guru Angad Dev, known as Lehna before Guruship was
born on March 31, 1504 at a village Matte-di-Sarai, now
known as Sarai Naga, in Faridkot District of Punjab. He was
a handsome young man. His father, Bhai Pheru, was the
trader of comfortable means. His village was plundered
during one of Babar's invasions. As a consequence, the
family moved out to Sanghar, but eventually settled down in
Khadur in district Amritsar.
When they reached home, the Guru's wife remonstrated with
the Guru, saying, “Why did you give this noble man such a
sludgy load to carry? Look at the mud that has dripped over his
fine garments.”
“These are not mud spots,” said the Guru, “These are saffron
marks of spiritual sovereignty. I chose him for this load because I
feel convinced of his ability to carry even much heavier loads.”
Guru Nanak tests Lehna
Several times the Guru put Lehna's devotion to test. Not that the
Guru was unconvinced of his devotion and unexceptionable
obedience. Lehna had a firm conviction that obedience signified
not servility but freedom - freedom from the strangling clutches
of the ego. Lehna had already decimated his ego completely: and
At his very first meeting with Guru Nanak, Lehna fell under the
spell of the enchanting personality of the Guru as well as his
captivating civility. He witnessed utter simplicity in a man doing
hard labor with his own hands in a field. His living was so
humble and unassuming that it could disarm any pride. His
profound wisdom and sublime grace bewitched him so much
that he simply surrendered to him. That is, perhaps why, he
decided to stay on with him forever.
Guru Nanak asked him “What is your name dear?”
“Lehna is my name, Master!” ('Lehna' in Punjabi means a debt
due to a creditor).
“If you are 'Lehna', then you have come to the right place to
collect the debt due to you,” said the Guru, “and befittingly, like a
creditor you came on horseback.” And history testifies that
Lehna eventually received from the Guru what he alone was
destined to receive.
Although Lehna had decided in his mind never to leave the
Guru, Guru Nanak persuaded him to go back to Khadur, share
Guru Angad Dev
By Jaswant Singh Neki
his resolve with his family members, settle any outstanding
affairs and return to him if he still so desired. However, Lehna
returned as expeditiously as he went, because he could hardly
bear the idea of being away from the Guru.
One day, Guru Nanak was working in his fields. At the end of
the day, he had gathered bundles of green fodder, which had to
be carried for the cattle. The Guru asked his sons to take those
bundles home, but they avoided the job saying that this load
should be given to a menial to carry. Lehna, however,
cheerfully volunteered to carry those heavy and dripping
bundles on his head.
the Guru fully appreciated that. The tests the Guru gave him
were meant to demonstrate to one and all that it was Lehna
alone who stood supreme amidst them.
One day, the Guru's bowl fell into a dirty gutter. He asked his
sons to take it out. They hesitated, saying, “why not ask a menial
to do this job?” However, When the Guru looked at Lehna, he
promptly plunged into the gutter and brought out the bowl.
Several other tests of this kind were given and Lehna always
acquitted himself giving indisputable evidence of his profound
spiritual insight.
“I have nowhere else to go”
On one occasion, Guru Nanak assumed a formidable posture.
He put on a queer dress and suddenly ran out towards the
riverside, carrying a strong and heavy baton in his hands. A
whole big crowd of devotees followed his trail. A little later the
Guru started throwing out candies from his sling bag. Many of
those who were following him started picking up those candies,
Feb - April, 2009
23
but some still continued following the Guru. Having gone a little
distance further, the Guru then started wielding his baton and
charged the few that still followed him. He hurt some and
frightened others. Baba Buddha got injured and so sat down in
disgust completely bewildered at the Guru's strange behavior
bordering on insanity. Lehna alone was still following the guru.
The Guru then turned back and asked him, “Lehna! Why don't
you also go away?” “Where should I go, Master?” replied Lehna,
“I have no one except you.” Guru Nanak said, “I was looking for
one to whom I may be able to transfer light. I am happy to have
been able to find one in you.”
Nanak appoints Lehna his successor
The Guru was immensely pleased with Lehna and gave him a new
name, Angad, meaning, his own limb. He brought him back, gave
him a bath, adorned him with fresh set of clothes, and seated him
on a pedestal. He sent Baba Buddha to fetch him a coconut fruit
and five copper coins. These, he placed before Lehna as an
offering and bowed before him in the same manner in which
Lehna had always bowed before him. He then asked Buddha to
When Guru Nanak had thus established Angad as the next
Guru, the village elders came to remonstrate to him for having
neglected his own sons in choosing his successor, even though
they seemed to deserve equally well. Guru Nanak, however, told
them, “They are good human beings but lack the vision which
Guru Angad Sahib has.”
The Guru becomes the disciple
Having installed Angad as the new Guru, Nanak took him into
his embrace and said, "Whoever reposes faith in you, would be
faithful to me: whoever serves you would be rendering me
service and whoever considers you different from me, would be
distancing himself from the Guru's grace." Thereafter, Nanak
made it a practice to sit at the feet of Guru Angad as his disciple
for as long as he lived. What a reversal of roles between Guru
and the disciple!
One day, Baba Buddha asked Guru Angad after the latter had
been installed as Guru, “Dear Lehna, when Guru Nanak bowed
before you, how did you feel?” “I felt as if a mother has picked up a
dirty toddler and made him grow up as big as herself", replied
the Guru.
It has been said that by handing out his blazing torch to Guru
Angad, Guru Nanak made it explicit that his faith was an
eternally continuing reality.
From Kartarpur to Khadur
Guru Nanak's sons, however, kept smarting with jealousy and
sought every opportunity to create difficulties for Guru Angad.
Sensing that, Guru Nanak counseled Guru Angad to shift his
headquarters to Khadur, where his wife and children were living
and to continue his divine work from there. Guru Angad did go to
Khadur, but chose to stay away from public gaze. So he requested
daub the saffron mark of Guruship on Lehna's forehead. It was
through this symbolic ceremony that Guru Nanak installed Lehna
as his successor. Then, Guru Nanak bade the congregation to
bow before the new Guru as he himself had done in their presence.
According to Mahima Prakash, Guru Nanak then asked Guru
Angad if he needed anything. Guru Angad requested him to give
him as gift the book of hymns, his waistband and his minstrel.
Guru Nanak granted all these with great pleasure. This
auspicious event took place on September 2, 1539.
Having become the spiritual successor of Guru Nanak, Lehna
came to be known as Guru Angad Dev. Guru Nanak transferred
his light, his authority and his spiritual power on to him.
24
Eternal Voice
a pious lady, Mai Viraee, who was like an aunt to him, to let him
stay undisturbed in her house so that he could meditate and stay in
continual spiritual trance. He instructed the lady not to reveal his
whereabouts to anyone. However, the devotees in Kartarpur,
unaware of his whereabouts, began to miss him with concern.
They decided to send a deputation to Khadur to locate the Guru
and to enable the Sikhs to see him. The deputing group, consisted
of Baba Buddha, Bhai Ajita Randhava, Bhai Sadharan, Bhai
Bhagirath and the minstrels. When Mai Viraee came to know of
the approaching deputation, she hastily made arrangements for
their boarding. Then she went forth some distance to meet them in
advance and tell them that the Guru had forbidden her from
revealing where he was. At that Baba Buddha said, “Never mind.
We shall wail our prayers imploring him to reveal his exalted
Being to us. Isn't that our legitimate right?” He then asked the two
minstrels to sing a particular hymn of Guru Nanak so loud that the
Guru may hear it wherever he might be.
Hearing this, the Guru could not withhold himself any more.
He came out and embraced his loving guests. Angad was Guru for
thirteen years (1539 to 1552). With his inimitable humility and
spiritual wisdom, he was able to dissolve the schism between his
Sikhs and Sri Chand's followers, who had come to be known as
Udasis (renunciates). He preached, as Nanak did, the fatherhood
of God and brotherhood of Man without any discrimination.
Popularizing Gurmukhi script
He desired to raise literacy among his followers. Guru Nanak
had taught a Sikh, Mehma Khehra, a script improvised by the
Guru after updating a locally employed half baked one. This
script as updated by Guru Nanak is not only perfectly congenial
to Punjabi phonetics, but is also very scientifically arranged.
Guru Angad dispatched an emissary to Mehma requesting him
to come over to Khadur. He came promptly and at the Guru's
request, gave him the script that Guru Nanak had taught him.
Guru Angad improved it further, gave it a more aesthetic aspect
and a scientific arrangement on a sound phonetic basis that
harmonized with the Punjabi way of speaking. Then, in order to
popularize it, he began writing its primers in his own hand to be
distributed among children as well as desiring adults.
Janamsakhi and Guru's Langar
The Guru got a biography (Janamsakhi) of Guru Nanak
prepared getting major contribution from Bhai Bala,
a companion of Guru Nanak, and his own memory and that of
the other disciples. Bhai Paira Mokha scribed it under the
Guru's instructions. This is considered to have been the first
ever book of Punjabi prose.
Guru Angad organized on a stronger footing and with a more
generous prospect the Guru's free kitchen (Langar). The Guru's
own noble wife, Mata Khivi supervised the Langar. While
delicacies were served at the Langar for the Sikhs, the Guru and
his family lived on coarse meals, which he earned by selling
strings of reed fiber, which he twisted himself to earn his living. He
even forbade his sons from even thinking of living on the devotees'
offerings. That, he told them, should be considered as poison.
The Guru's missionary tours
The Guru made two missionary tours to spread the message of
Guru Nanak. The first he undertook in 1547 in the Majha tract of
Central Punjab and visited Sultanpur Lodhi, Makhu, Harike
Pattan, Talwandi Bhai Rode, Panjgirain and Kot Kapura and
ended his tour at Matte-di-Sarai, his birth-place. The second was
a return tour made next year through the Malva tract, in which
he visited Rautan, Sangatpura, Manuke, Buttar, Lohara, Moga,
Gholia, Kot Isse Khan, Harike Pattan and back to Khadur.
Wherever he halted, congregations were held every morning
and evening. The minstrels sang the Guru's hymns to these
congregations and the Guru gave exposition of the hymns of
Guru Nanak. The Guru also delivered specific sermons to the
devotees against superstitious ritualism. He forbade them from
observing caste distinctions. On March 20, 1552, the Guru,
ignoring his two sons, ceremoniously enthroned Sri Amar Das
on the spiritual throne of Guru Nanak and made him Guru
Amar Das, the third Guru of the Sikhs. Shortly after that, Guru
Angad merged with the divine light.
Feb - April, 2009
25
Some chosen hymns of Guru Angad Dev
Nanak parkhe aap kau ta parkh(u) jan(u).
Rog(u) daru dovai bujhai ta vaid(u) sujan(u).
Vat na karai mamla janai mihman(u).
Mul(u) jan(i) gala kare han(i) lae han(u). ( 148)
(The real judge is one who, first of all, judges his own self. A good physician is one,
who diagnoses as well as treats. A wise wayfarer argues not, but reckons himself a guest.
He just discourses on the Essence, from evil he withdraws.)
Je sau chanda ugve(i) suraj chareh hajar.
Ete chanan hondian gur bin(u) ghor andhar. (463)
(Were a hundred moons to rise and a thousand suns to blaze,
Without the Guru, despite such Light, shall utmost gloom prevail.)
Salam(u) jabab(u) dovai kare mundhoh ghutha jae.
Nanak dovai kuria thae na kai pae.(474)
(He, who salutes his master and defies him as well, never strikes any root.
False are both his actions. With God they find no place.)
Chakar(u) lagai chakari nale garab(u) vad(u).
Gala kare ghaneria khasam na pae sad(u).
Ap(u) gavae seva kare ta kichh(u)pae man(u).
Nanak jis no laga tis(u) milai laga so parvan(u). ( 474)
(Should one engaged as a servant be proud and disputatious. However much he may prattle,
he never can please the Lord. If he serves effacing himself, honor he would obtain.
Approved is he, says Nanak, who merges with whom he loves.)
Nal(i) iane dosti kade na avai ras(i).
Jeha janai teho vartai vekhoh ko nirjas(i).
Vastu ander(i) vast(u) samavai duji hovai pas(I).
Sahib seti hukam(u) na chalai kahi banai ardas(i).
Kur(i) kamanai kuro hovai Nanak siphat(i) vigaas(i). (474)
(Friendship with the immature flourishes never. One can't act beyond one's intellect: this you may
test and see. Kind can merge with the kind; duality keeps them apart. The master you cannot order,
to Him you can but pray. False deeds make one evil; one blooms by praising God.)
Nal(i) ianai dosti vadaru sio neh(u).
Pani andar(i) leek jio tis da thao na theh(u). (474)
(Friendship with the immature or with the arrogant,
is like a line drawn in water that leaves no mark or trace.)
Badha chatti jo bhare na gun(u) na upkar(u).
Seti khusi savariai Nanak karaj(u) sar(u). (787)
(Under duress who work, no merit they gain.
Right action is that which is done with one's free will.
Guru Angad Dev (1504 - 1552)
Feb - April, 2009
27
Sun, is a typical case in point. Similarly, Marie Curie, discoverer
of radium and winner of Nobel Prize for both Physics and
Chemistry died of cancer caused by radiations emitted from the
material on which she worked for years together with her
husband Pierre Curie. Incidentally, Pierre met with a fatal
accident and possibly escaped the agony of cancer. Their
daughter and son-in-law, Irene Joliot Curie and Frederic Joliot
Curie, who were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, also
met with similar fate due to cancer.
Science and
Spiritualism
By J.P. Garg & Kulwant Singh
S
cience and Spiritualism are two schools of enquiry into the
ultimate truth. These appear to be diametrically opposed
and apart because of their apparent techniques of investigation
and enquiry and their consequent formulations. But in reality,
this may not be completely true because Science has not
completed its enquiry yet. Science has not given its final verdict
on the origin and nature of the universe and the ultimate force
governing the universe. With the latest scientific research going
on at the sub-atomic or nano level and spiritualism already
affirming the presence of energy at each stage of matter, there is
a distinct possibility of convergence of the two apparently
diverse approaches. But before exploring the possibility of any
synthesis between the two, let us go into the fundamental
contours of these two schools of thought.
Science can be defined as the study of the physical world and
application of this study to the welfare of mankind. Science is a
search for universal truths, an attempt at understanding the
mysteries of nature. Spiritualism, on the other hand, is a search
for identifying and understanding the truths of our inner self,
which is believed to have no physical existence. Spiritualism
derives itself from 'Spirit'. Apart from the philosophical
meaning and its attributes, the word 'Spirit' according to
Chemistry means something which evaporates. Thus
philosophically, spirit is understood to be something, which is
ethereal and relates itself to metaphysical existence. This inner
self may be called consciousness, mind, soul or Atma.
Spiritualists believe that by listening to the voice of our Atma, we
can make sublime not only our own lives but also the lives of
others, thereby transforming the whole world into a blissful state
of perfect peace and harmony and thus we would be able to
28
Eternal Voice
usher in what is commonly known as Satyuga or the age of truth
and truth alone.
Some of the questions that come to mind here are:
Are the concepts of Science and spiritualism as simple as stated above?
Are there any similarities and dissimilarities between the two?
Does the concept of Atma (soul) have a universal appeal?
Can mankind really transcend into an era of Satyuga (the age of
righteousness) from its present position in Kalyuga (the age of sins)?
There are numerous other such examples in the realm of
Science. The latest one is the ongoing Geneva experiment,
popularly called Big Bang-2, the greatest of all experiments
involving about 8000 researchers from 85 countries of the
world, who have been working for the last 15 years. On
September 10, 2008, when the experiment was to start, some
Indian astrologers predicted that this would be a day of total
annihilation for the whole world, a Pralay or a doom's day, thus
creating a fear psychosis in the minds of the people at large.
However, not even a speck of the earth moved or shook on this
account on that day. Even today or at some later date if
something goes seriously wrong with the experiment, the
scientists present there at that moment would be the only ones
to run the risk of their lives rather than anybody else. But it is
only due to the call of their inner conscience to know the truth
that they are sitting at the top of a volcano.
Thus Science and scientific research is the result of human
inquisitiveness and urge to explore the truth with the aim of
bringing prosperity for mankind. However, it is another matter
that sometimes or in certain cases the findings of the scientists
have resulted in disastrous consequences for the world and
humanity. But it has never been the intention of the scientists to
use Science for evil purposes. That is why they always say that
'Science can be a good servant and a bad master.'
Science seeks to explore the secrets of the physical world
surrounding us - the boundaries of which extend beyond our
imaginable limits. The methods of this research are based on
the steps of formation of a hypothesis, experimentation,
collection and analysis of data and finally stating the result in the
form of a formula, principle or law. Subjectivity of a researcher
does not play any role because his derivations are liable to be
challenged and verified by other scientists subsequently. This
law or principle becomes universal only when it is not disproved
by any other scientist. Still there is always a scope for its
modification in the light of new research.
History of Science is thus a saga of the dedication and research
and even sacrifice of hundreds of scientists for the welfare of
mankind. Many of them had to suffer bodily and some of them
lost their lives during the course of their research. A few were
even executed because their findings stood in contradiction to
the orthodox beliefs. The case of Giordano Bruno, who was
burnt alive for pronouncing that the earth revolves around the
Photo courtesy: Bhai Vir Singh Sahitya Sadan
However, now it is being argued that Science has not been able
to solve all the mysteries of Man and Nature, what to speak of
providing solutions to every problem Man faces today. (For
instance, no definite cure has been found for deadly diseases like
cancer and AIDS). It has rather raised more questions than it
has solved. One can clarify these misgivings if one keeps in
mind that scientific endeavor is a continuous process and no
time limit can be set to arrive at the final findings. Thus Science
has its own limitations. This idea of limitation of Science is
generally summarized by referring to Heisenberg's 'Principle of
Uncertainty or Indeterminacy' enunciated in 1927 in Physics.
To understand all aspects of this principle a detailed discussion
of relevant Physics is needed, but simply this principle states
that it is not possible to find simultaneously the exact position
and velocity of a particle like electron, because the process of
measurement itself alters either of the two. Therefore, some
uncertainty in measurement gets introduced by itself and exact
measurement is not possible. This took the physicists by
surprise as till then Physics was thought to be an exact Science
and led some of them to believe that at the sub-atomic level of
matter (where scientists seem to be helpless), there may exist a
possibility which when understood or realized may play a vital
role in understanding an objective truth or ultimate reality.
This grey area or region of possibility brings both Science and
spiritualism close to each other. In other words, it is believed that
it is at this boundary where Science at present stands or ceases
to operate and spiritualism begins. Is this not where study of
physics ceases and the pursuit of metaphysics begins?
Spiritualism or spiritual quest unlike the scientific enquiry
begins from the internal to the external. Unlike a scientist
starting with a hypothesis towards experimentation,
verification and formulation, spiritualist starts with a faith,
Feb - April, 2009
29
a conviction and undoubted belief in some sort of primal force or
energy that impels to evolve and manifest itself. Like an electric
current of energy it energizes every object into which it enters
and takes its shape. This non-stop flow of energy unites the
whole universe. As a spiritualist focuses, dwells upon and
concentrates his entire consciousness upon this energy, he finds
its presence everywhere from the tiniest particle to the biggest
object conceivable. This unity in diversity is the central credo of
spiritualism and a spiritual person, while in communion with the
primal energy (call it The Divine) transcends all man-made
barriers of caste, creed, region and religion. Once he has
realized this divine presence in every visible and invisible object,
his outlook turns mystical and pantheistic. According to this
view, nothing moves or happens without the divine will and the
divine will is autonomous and sovereign. As his spiritual quest
proceeds further, he starts realizing that this divine force or
divine will has certain definite attributes (what a scientist would
call properties). Some of the attributes of the Divine are its
complete sovereignty over His creation, its timeless eternal
presence, its attitude of total impartiality including its complete
absence from rancor, malice or fear of any of its creation and its
unconditional compassion towards its creation. It dwells in its
creation, here, there, everywhere yet over and above their
constitutional dimensions. The whole creation originates from
it and merges into it as it wills. While a scientist is able to
substantiate his findings and formulations through physical and
A Short Story
Your Weakness
This is the story of a 10-year-old boy, who decided to
study 'Judo' despite the fact that he had lost his left arm
in a devastating car accident.
persistence in concentration and meditation this force is stirred,
which in turn, enlightens his consciousness. Once this
consciousness is enlightened, the whole mystery is resolved and
a mood of ecstasy takes over the mystic. He acquires a peace
that passes understanding.
visible demonstrations to us, a spiritualist can at best describe
and state his experience through similes and metaphors which
evoke images of sensual perceptions such as those of fragrance,
love, joy and consummation. In fact, language proves to be an
inadequate medium to convey the mystical experience of a
spiritually realized or enlightened person. This hiatus or
communicational gap between a mystic and ordinary logical
human being is due to the difference in their level of
consciousness. While the mystic has enlightened his
consciousness without depending on his sense perceptions
including his rational mind, the empirical or logical man never
endeavors to go beyond his mental faculties.
Thus, while a mystic rejoices in the oneness of his
consciousness with the Divine, he finds an ordinary human
being, the logical, empirical person groping within the shell of
his constitutional circumference of his physical existence. The
scientist and the mystic come nearest to each other in a
boundary situation where a scientist finds some sort of entity or
consciousness at the sub-atomic level. It is at this level that there
is a scope for a synthesis between Science and spiritualism,
where and when practitioners of both streams would
acknowledge the presence of a common entity. Moreover, at this
stage as formulations and beliefs of scientists and mystics are
wide apart, their tools of enquiry, too, are different. While a
scientist relies completely on his physical and mental faculties
as well as the equipment during his scientific pursuit, a mystic
regards these faculties as inadequate tools for his spiritual quest.
His whole reliance is on his consciousness which is the sum
total of all his faculties plus something more powerful and
efficient than all the senses combined. While a scientist
experiments with the assistance of his faculties, a spiritual
seeker activates his consciousness through concentration and
meditation on a force, which resides in his consciousness. With
30
Eternal Voice
To conclude, both scientists and spiritualists are seekers of truth
differing in their approach of enquiry yet progressing towards
the same goal. Whereas the spiritual seeker begins from inside,
the scientist proceeds from outside. Since the inner quest has no
developed medium of communication to pass on his experience,
he takes the help of abstract modes of expression. A scientist
has a well developed commonly shared medium of
communication, using which he can convey his formulations.
Now, when Science is exploring the sub-atomic state of
existence, he too finds handicapped in conveying his perception.
Let us hope that Science at the end of its quest may find its
beginning where spiritualism has already arrived. Suffice it to
say that both the approaches are valid because both are in
pursuit of truth. Both scientists and spiritualists are seekers of
knowledge and not information – because knowledge begins
where information ends. Both have impacted human thought
and the way humanity has progressed or regressed. Whereas
Science has enlightened our mental horizon, spiritualism seeks
to enlighten our psychic and still unnamed faculties. Let us pay
attention to both and hope to be benefited from both.
The boy began lessons with an old Japanese Judo teacher.
The boy was doing well, so he couldn't understand why,
after three months of training, the teacher had taught him
only one move. "Sensei," the boy finally said, "Shouldn't
I be learning more moves?"
"This is the only move you know, but this is the only
move you'll ever need to know," the Sensei replied.
Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the
boy kept training.
Several months later, the Sensei took the boy to his first
tournament. Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first
two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult,
but after some time, his opponent became impatient and
charged; the boy deftly used his one move to win the match.
Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals.
This time round, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and
more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be
overmatched. Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the
referee called a time-out. He was about to stop the match
when the Sensei intervened. "No," the Sensei insisted,
“Let him continue."
Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a
critical mistake: he dropped his guard. Instantly, the boy
used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and
the tournament. He was the champion.
On way back home, the boy and the Sensei reviewed every
move in each and every match. Then the boy summoned
the courage to ask what was really on his mind. "Sensei,
how did I win the tournament with only one move?"
“You won for two reasons," the Sensei answered. "First,
you've almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in
all of Judo. And second, the only known defence for that
move is for your opponent to grab your left arm."
The boy's greatest weakness had become his greatest strength.
Feb - April, 2009
31
Mecca of Sikh faith
S
ometime between the year 1510 and 1520 Guru Nanak is
said to have traveled to the Arab lands, visiting, among
other places, Mecca and Baghdad. Some suggest that he even
performed the Haj but there is no conclusive evidence of that.
(To give the reader an idea of the time line, it was the time just
before the Mughal rule began in India.) On the way back from his
Udasi (travel) abroad, Guru Nanak passed through Kabul and
Peshawar and then, after crossing the Indus, halted at a small
hamlet at the foot of a steep hill, short of the Margallas, where
Hasan Abdal is located today.
in the fortress of Pakistan
By Darshan Singh Abbot
Attracted by his teachings, both Muslims and Hindus of the
hamlet and the surrounding area started flocking to Guru
Nanak. At the top of the hill behind the Guru's hamlet there
lived a 'peer' (a Muslim 'saint' of sorts), called Baba Wali
Kandhari. His last name referred to his origins in Kandhar,
Afghanistan. Other than having a better vantage point from
where he could see all that happened in the village below, Wali
Kandhari also had the advantage of having a spring of fresh
water nearby. The spring was also the only source of water for
the people down below.
Wali Kandhari could not help noticing the 'new saint on the
block', as it were. He saw that many more people were flocking
to Guru Nanak than were visiting him. He felt a little resentment
towards the Guru. What should he do? If he couldn't stop the
flow of people towards the Guru, he thought, he could stop the
flow of water to the hamlet below and thus drive the Guru away.
And he did stop the water. Naturally, upset over the cutting off of
their water supply, a delegation of people from the hamlet went
up to the Wali to request him to be kind enough and let the water
flow. But the Baba angrily sent them back taunting them that
why didn't they ask their Guru to produce water for them. When
Guru Nanak heard this he asked his lifelong disciple and
companion, Bhai Mardana (a Muslim), to go to Wali Kandhari
and plead with him the case of the village folks. But the Baba did
not relent and Mardana came back empty handed. Guru Nanak
sent Bhai Mardana again and yet again, to beg the Baba for
water but to no effect.
Becoming desperate the people
turned to Guru Nanak asking
him what to do. Guru Nanak
told them not to despair and
trust God and then, pointing to a
large stone, asked them to
dislodge it from the spot where
it was embedded in the ground.
When they pushed the stone
aside fresh water gushed forth
from the ground, enough for the
needs of the little hamlet and
some more!
Wali Kandhari saw all this from the hilltop and was surprised
and dismayed at the same time. But his dismay turned into
Feb - April, 2009
33
Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839). The
Gurdwara houses the holy Guru Granth
Sahib. A large double storeyed hostel for
the devotees/pilgrims surrounds the
courtyard, the pool and the Gurdwara.
There are numerous plaques and signs
announcing the names of the donors and
miscellaneous directions in Gurmukhi,
English and Urdu.
From the courtyard of the shrine one can
easily see the hilltop where Wali Kandhari
camped and from where he rolled down the
rock. A modern communication tower
sprouts from the place now. The hilltop has
also become a shrine named after
Gurdwara Panja Sahib
Gurudwara Panja Sahib is situated at Hasan Abdal, 48 km from Rawalpindi in Pakistan. This is one of the most holy places of Sikhism
because of the presence of a rock having the hand print of Guru Nanak imprinted on it. Twice a year, Sikhs visit this Gurdwara from all
over the world.
shock and anger when he discovered that his own spring had
meanwhile dried up. Enough was enough, he thought and
decided to do away with the Guru. He pushed a huge boulder
down the hill in the direction of the Guru that, he thought, would
sure crush the Guru and the people around him. The boulder
rolled down gaining speed and kicking up dirt as it moved. When
the people heard the rumble and saw the huge rock hurling down
they panicked and started fleeing. But Guru Nanak stayed calm
and continued sitting where he was.
When the boulder came close, Guru Nanak calmly raised his
right hand as if to order the rock to stop. The boulder pushed
against his hand and stopped!
Wali Kandhari and attracts many devotees from the
surrounding area. Even Sikh pilgrims to Panja Sahib trek up
the hill, a distance of over one mile, to visit the shrine.
Panja Sahib
The Guru's open hand got imprinted on the boulder as if
pressed into wax. When Wali Kandhari saw this he needed no
further proof of the spiritual reach of the Guru. He came down
from the hill, touched Guru Nanak's feet and joined the group
of his devotees.
The rock with the hand imprint is embedded today in the
concrete structure of the Panja Sahib building complex. Clear,
fresh spring water gushes out from somewhere behind the rock
and spills over into a very large pool. A deep imprint of a right
hand is clearly visible on the rock underneath the thin sheet of
water flowing over it. Next to the pool, on an elevated platform,
stands a beautiful small Gurdwara built in the Mughal style by
Feb - April, 2009
35
B
uddhism began as a missionary religion. A few days after
the first sermon, the Buddha sent his chosen converts into
the world with the exhortation, “Go ye forth, O Bhikkus, for the
gain of the many, for the welfare of the many, in compassion for
the world. Proclaim the Doctrine glorious, preach ye a life of
holiness, perfect and pure.” The Buddha felt it necessary to
make available to all men the Universal principles of truth. It was
to be a message for the entire mankind. It was to become the
duty of every Buddhist to provide the knowledge of the path
which was proclaimed by the Buddha as a way to happiness and
enlightenment. It was to be a living stream of spiritual
experience and it was different from any religious teachings
preceding it. The path shown by the Buddha was unique and
unlike the earlier religious cults, based on dogmas.
Basic principles of Buddhism
By Hardev Singh
Gradually, over the years the Doctrine of Dhamma and the
associated teachings were codified. Initially nothing was written
down. The principles were discussed and memorized and
formed the basis of further discussion. Each individual was
expected to work out his own salvation with diligence. However,
the memorized canon was later on put into writing and honor
was paid to the written word.
Korea. Afterwards, it traveled to Japan around 552 A.D. The
famous regent Shotoku Taishi (593-622) became a patron of
Buddhism and he is considered a great man that Japan
produced. His influence was profound and he built a monastic
settlement which became a prototype of Japanese architecture.
While Buddhism traveled in various directions, the faith gained
local color and became divergent from the teachings of the
Enlightened One. In 1945, the Buddhist Society, London felt the
need to evolve a summary of the basic principles of Buddhism.
Christmas Humphreys (1901-1983), the founder of the Society,
went round to various countries where Buddhism flourished in
order to evolve a composite consensus of the doctrines of
Buddhism. These twelve basic principles formulated by him are
as follows:
Self-Salvation
Self-Salvation is for any man the immediate task. If a man lay
wounded by a poisoned arrow he would not delay extraction by
demanding details of the man who shot it, or the length and
make of the arrow. There will be time for ever-increasing
understanding of the teachings during the treading of the way.
Meanwhile, begin now by facing life, as it is, learning always by
direct and personal experience.
The Law of Change
The first fact of existence is the law of change or impermanence.
All that exists, from a mole to a mountain, from a thought to an
empire, passes through the same cycle of existence, i.e., birth,
growth, decay and finally death. Life alone is a continuous, ever
seeking self-expression in new forms. 'Life is a bridge; therefore
build no house on it.' Life is a process of flow, and he who clings
to any form, however splendid, will suffer by resisting the flow.
No part of the individual is immortal
Buddhism traveled to many countries. First it was Sri Lanka,
which received the faith. King Ashoka sent his son Mahendra
for this mission, which proved to be a great success because
King Tessa of Sri Lanka got converted to this faith. Ashoka also
sent his missions to Burma, then called Savarnabhumi. In
Burma the worship of 37 Nats or deities is combined with
Buddhism. The Burmese, they say, love Buddha and fear Nats.
So they worship both. In Thailand, the King of the day in 1400
A.D. was so much inspired by this faith that he sent for Bhikkus
from Sri Lanka. In China, Buddhism reached around first
Century A.D., when that country was ruled by Han dynasty. It is
stated that Emperor Ming-ti, following a dream, became an
enthusiastic follower of Buddhism and sent for Bhikkus from
India. But in China, already two highly enlightened faiths Confucian and Taoist - were popular. So in China, Buddhism
flourished along with the existing faiths and formed the famous
tripod of the Chinese religion. From China, Buddhism reached
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Eternal Voice
The law of change applies as much to the 'soul' as to the physical
body. There is no principle in an individual, which is immortal
and unchanging. Only the 'Namelessness', the ultimate Reality,
is beyond change and all forms of life, including man, are
manifestations of this Reality. No one owns the life which flows
in him any more than the electric light bulb owns the current
which gives it light.
Man is the creator of his destiny
The Universe is the expression of law. All effects have causes,
and man's soul or character is the sum total of his previous
thoughts and acts. Karma, meaning action-reaction, governs
all existence, and man is the sole creator of his circumstances
and his reaction to them, his future condition and his final
destiny. By right thought and action, he can gradually purify
his inner nature and so by self-realization attain, in time,
liberation from rebirth. The process covers great periods of
time, involving life after life on earth, but ultimately every form
of life will reach Enlightenment.
Feb - April, 2009
37
The Eight-fold Path
It consists in Right (or perfect) Views or preliminary
understanding, Right Aims or Motive, Right Speech, Right
Acts, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Concentration or
mind-development and finally, Right Samadhi, leading to full
Enlightenment. As Buddhism is a way of living, not merely a
theory of life, the treading of this Path is essential to selfdeliverance. 'Cease to do evil, learn to be good, cleanse your own
heart': this is the teaching of the Buddha.
other religions and philosophies, for no man has the right to
interfere in his neighbor's journey to the goal.
Buddhism is a way of life
Buddhism is neither pessimistic nor 'escapist', nor does it deny
the existence of God or soul, though it places its own meaning on
these terms. It is a system of thought, a religion, a spiritual
science and a way of life, which is reasonable, practical and allembracing.
Every one can attain Nirvana
Reality is indescribable and a God with attributes is not the final
Reality. But the Buddha, a human being, became the All
Enlightened One and the purpose of life is the attainment of
Enlightenment. This state of Consciousness, Nirvana, the
extinction of the limitations of self-hood, is attainable on earth.
All men and all other forms of life contain the potentiality of
Enlightenment and the process therefore consists in becoming
what you are, 'Look within: thou art Buddha.'
By Unknown Monk, 1100 A.D.
When I was a young man, I wanted to
change the world.
I found it was difficult to change the
world, so I tried to change my nation.
The Middle Way
From potential to actual Enlightenment there lies the Middle
Way, the Eight-fold Path 'from desire to peace', a process of selfdevelopment between the 'opposites', avoiding all extremes.
The Buddha trod this way to the end and the only faith required
in Buddhism is the reasonable belief that where a guide has
trodden it is worth our while to tread. The way must be trodden
by the whole man, not merely the best of him but heart and mind
must be developed equally. The Buddha was the AllCompassionate as well as the All-Enlightened One.
To conclude, we can say that Buddhism is a pragmatic
approach to life. For over two thousand years it has satisfied the
spiritual needs of nearly one-third of mankind. It appeals to the
West because it is free from dogmas, satisfies the reason and
the heart alike, insists on self-reliance coupled with tolerance for
others' point of view, embraces science, religion, philosophy,
psychology, ethics and art; and points to man alone as the
creator of his present life and sole designer of his destiny.
Inward Concentration
Compassion is the Law of Laws - Eternal Harmony
Life is one and indivisible, though its ever-changing forms are
innumerable and perishable. There is, in truth, no death, though
every form dies. From an understanding of life's unity, arises
compassion, a sense of identity with the life in other forms.
Compassion is described as 'the Law of laws – eternal
harmony', and he, who breaks this harmony of life will suffer
accordingly and simply delay his own Enlightenment.
Four Noble Truths
Life being One, the interests of the part should be those of the
whole. In his ignorance man thinks he can successfully strive for
his own interests and this wrongly-directed energy of
selfishness produces suffering. He learns from his suffering to
reduce and finally eliminate its cause. The Buddha taught four
noble Truths: (a) The omnipresence of suffering; (b) its cause,
wrongly directed desire; (c) its cure, the removal of the cause;
and (d) the Noble eightfold path of self-development which leads
to the end of suffering.
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Eternal Voice
Buddhism lays great stress on the need of inward
concentration and meditation, which lead in time to the
development of the inner spiritual faculties. The subjective life
is as important as the daily round and periods of quietude for
inner activity are essential for a balanced life. The Buddhist
should at all times be 'mindful and self-possessed', refraining
from mental and emotional attachment to 'the passing show'.
This increasingly watchful attitude to circumstances, which he
knows to be his own creation, helps him to keep his reaction to
it always under control.
I wanted to
change the world
Essence of Sikhi
BSR
When I found I couldn't change the
nation, I began to focus on my town.
I grew old but couldn't change the town.
Now, I tried to change my family.
But, as an old man, I realize the only
thing I can change is myself, and
suddenly I realize that if long ago I had
changed myself, I could have made an
impact on my family. My family and I
could have made an impact on our town.
Their impact could have changed the
nation and I could indeed have changed
the world.
Work out your own salvation with diligence
The Buddha said: 'Work out your own salvation with diligence'.
Buddhism knows no authority for truth save the intuition of the
individual and that is authority for himself alone. Each man
suffers the consequences of his own acts and learns thereby,
while helping his fellow men to the same deliverance; nor will
prayer to the Buddha or to any God prevent an effect from
following its cause. Buddhist monks are teachers and
exemplars, and in no sense intermediate between Reality and
the individual. The utmost tolerance is practiced towards all
Our prayers of thanksgiving are also inspired by the Divine Cosmic
Energy. Waheguru is the bestower of all blessings, and is also the
one that grants us the good sense to sing in praise and thankfulness
for all the boons received. We are cautioned by Gurbani that we
should be careful that even our expressions of gratefulness must not
smack of any vanity. Let our obeisance be meek and humble because
an act of obeisance is most vulnerable to arrogance and conceit.
A Short Story
Feb - April, 2009
39
I am on a mission. The mission to bring the hidden
green out of my community, friends and family. The
mission to leave this Earth better for our next
generation. The mission for the humanity to
transform to 'Live simply so others may simply live'.
Common Sense Cure for Energy Crisis
While the governments of the world move at a snail's pace in
solving the energy crisis, a grass roots conscious movement at
the consumer level can turn the tide around. It is just a matter of
realization, consciousness, and making some lifestyle changes.
And it is starting to happen around the world. It is significant
and it is the only thing we can do right now.
And it is very simple - Reduce the demand of Energy.
Unfortunately, it pains me to see how the well off Sikh
community (and South Asian community in general) in both the
East and the West is so complacent to one of the biggest crisis in
the world right now. We have not shown any concern (lest it
affects our pockets) much less leadership and vision in this
area. Addicted to cheap stuff made in China, driving the biggest
gas guzzlers, buying huge houses that ultimately end up owning
us (instead of us owning them), and littering the landfills with
disposables, we show our affluence everywhere; we trash the
environment and take a lot of pride in it.
h
I hate to start this article by blasting my community and am
getting off the point here but I am little turned off now and I think
you may appreciate where I am coming from, if you let me share
my heart.
I had an opportunity to drive a few teens for 5 hours from a
Gurmat Camp to a field trip venue and back, lately. I, being
the tree hugger and all, wanted to take the time to turn that
long drive into a useful discussion on the global energy and
environmental crisis. I am ashamed to say that I was totally
unsuccessful.
By Gurmeet Kaur
With all due respect to their good character and behavior
other wise, they were absolutely not interested in such an
important issue that is affecting us all; and mind you I was not
lecturing. (And I believe it is one hundred percent their
parents' fault, not their own). I was interested in listening and
creating a dialogue, but all they had to offer was their
enthusiasm about the 12-cylinder Ferrari their relative bought,
or the 10-bedroom beach-front house their friend owns
complete with pool and tennis. When I brought up the point
that global warming is not so far out and that it is affecting our
lives everyday, one of them mentioned that her family had a
T
aki
t
r
a
ng c
e
are of mother
One step at a time.
40
Eternal Voice
large mansion in India they can go to, if something like the
wildfires got to them.
Even though my ears started hurting from all the materialistic
chatter, I didn't give up. As a last resort on the way back, I told
them that they could only speak in the car if they talked about
Sikhi values, benevolence or taking care of mother Earth.
There was a silence for the next 10 minutes, and then one of
them broke it, “ there are these organic jeans at the GAP for a
hundred and eighty dollars that are so cool…..”.
Now that you understand where I am coming from, let us get to
the point.
So, my message for today is that common sense change at the
grass roots level can reverse the energy crisis and the
environmental crisis. And I expect my community not only to be
a part of that change but the leader of that change.
Why? Because we have the tradition. Our faith is a green faith.
Earth is designated as our physical Mother in Gurbani
(Mata dharat mahatt) and we have the obligation to take care of it.
We have the duty to leave a better world for our next generations.
Take the example of our great environmentalists like Bhagat
Puran Singh, who spent all his life lobbying and caring for
two causes (not one as we know him mostly for). Yes, along
Feb - April, 2009
41
We drive less. We try to car
pool everywhere we go with
my child's activities. I have
managed tele-commuting
from home for a few days out
of the month and re-pay my
employer by working for an extra hour those days. With the
saving in my driving time that is an easy thing to do. By making
simple changes in driving habits such as reduced consistent
speed and accelerations, keeping tyres inflated, and keeping
clean air filters 10% to 30% of fuel consumption can be saved.
The national gas bills may have gone up but ours have gone
down by over 10%.
Once or twice a week I walk to the grocery store for eco shopping
trips. First, I get my exercise and second I do my food shopping.
I don't understand the
idea of using energy to
burn energy; i.e. driving to
the gym or using a
treadmill or both.
with caring for the crippled, his biggest passion was saving
the environment.
I first came across his marvelous writings on saving our trees
and rivers and the concerns over desertification of Punjab,
couple of decades ago when I was a young girl visiting Punjab.
His volunteers handed me a pamphlet on recycled paper that
talked about it all, as we walked out of Darbar Sahib. While most
of the pamphlets were used by people to wrap over left over
Parshad, or to wipe hands, I saved it and asked my Dad to read
and translate it for me. (I could not read Punjabi back then). I still
remember all the words my Dad uttered. The rivers are being
poisoned, the land is becoming a desert, we need to live simply,
and we need to plant trees if we are to save our future….
Guru Sahib too stresses living simply and using less over and
over in Gurbani (Chhaadan bhojan kee aas naa kar-ee). It can be
applied everywhere in our lives.
Coming back to energy crisis and what we can do to reverse it,
I couldn't stress enough:
Reducing the demand of energy at the consumer level is the first
and foremost way to solve this crisis, because 'energy saved is
energy generated.'
I am citing some useful tips that we have easily incorporated in
our lives and have successfully made a contribution from our
little household. The point is not to boast but to share, empower
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Eternal Voice
and inspire my friends and community to join in. So, please
forgive the repeated usages of 'We' and 'I'. Take what you can
and think of your own creative ways that work for You.
Be the beacon of change by making some common sense changes in your
lives and educating your children and the communities about it.
We have taped shut our clothes dryer since the Earth Day of last
year. With so much solar heat outside, the line drying of clothes is
working just fine and we have reduced our energy bill by over
10%. It also gives us an opportunity to breathe some fresh air
and smell the roses and jasmine, while we fold our laundry in the
back yard. It's one of the simplest ways one can use alternative
energy directly and think beyond fossil fuels.
By planting trees around the house
and getting green shrubbery close
to the windows. Over the years
we have developed a mature
shade-giving ca nopy a round
the house. The temperature
underneath the shade is 10-15
degrees cooler than the ambience.
We rarely need to use the air
conditioner. We open the windows
in the night when the temperatures
are low and let the house cool. In the late morning we shut
windows, pull the shades, and enjoy the moderately cool house.
Energy savings 20% .
We have literally stopped visiting shopping malls. We go to the mall
only if we absolutely need an item and can't find it online. It used
to be that I would go to malls and buy
things I absolutely didn't need instead
of the one I set out for. We still dress up
very nicely and have saved thousands,
yes, thousands of dollars in the last
three years from spurious shopping.
That takes care of my Dasvandh (tithe)
right there and gives us a chance to
invest that money on community
projects and more greening.
We try to buy locally manufactured goods even if we have to pay a few
bucks extra. There are hidden costs of shipping involved with
buying cheap stuff made in China (I am not picking on China,
just making the point). Shipping of cheap imported goods
pollutes environment, kills wildlife, and is bad for the local
economies. Here the savings don't show up in our account but
they help the world energy supplies and local economy and we
take a great pride in that.
Weddings, Birthdays, Graduations?
We give one of the three things:
i) spiritual/educational/local handicraft
items ii) trees or iii) cash. It saves on a
lot of headaches, time and driving
around and enriches the lives of the
people we love while helping the
environment.
With all the conservation mania, one
would wonder if we ever have any fun
in our lives ? You bet we do. We are
the biggest eco travelers you'll come
across. We hike, kayak, swim and
snorkel. We take a lot of vacations at
close by destinations and most of
them are camping trips. We have
camped for over 10 years in the
most pristine and beautiful state and
national parks in the U.S. but never once have we run into
another Sikh family having eco fun. (They probably were busy
going to shopping destinations around the world for vacations).
One saves over 75% on the carbon emissions by driving
(vs. flying), visiting local destinations and camping vs. using
environmentally unfriendly hotels/resorts.
You probably have read about all the simple changes we have
made in our kitchen in May 2008 issue of 'Eternal Voice'. If not
you must read them here. My neighbor was shocked the other
day when we compared our energy bills. We consume less
than 50% of the energy and water they do. We have the same
size houses and yes we shower every day. With all the savings
in energy costs we can afford to eat healthier, local and
organic foods.
We made all these changes
gradually, so they were not as hard
to make as one might think. Over
time they have become our
lifestyle. We keep looking for new
ways to contribute to the reversal of
g loba l wa r ming. T he most
important thing is awareness and
the feeling of responsibility.
Also, what helps is that we are not ashamed to be called
conservationists. We are proud of it. Carrying our green
smoothies or water in reusable glass jars, toting our cloth
shopping bags is a statement we love to make. Reducing, Reusing
and Recycling is the Mantra we are more than happy to share
with our colleagues, neighbors, families and friends.
Sometimes we get called “poor” or “cheap” in the affluent
circles, and we just smile.
How else will this become a grass roots movement if we were
not to pour out our passion, overcome false pride, tame the mind
and educate and inspire the world with all we have?
And now, I hope, each of you is inspired to contribute to the
reversal of this crisis by making a change, one simple change in
your lifestyle.
"Never doubt that a small group of
thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only
thing that ever has."
Like Margret Mead has said:
Feb - April, 2009
43
H
aumai, i.e., ego lends itself to a very
interesting study in Sikhism. It is a
firm belief with all the major faiths in
the world that Man's segregation from
the Universal Soul resulted in giving
him a distinct individuation. The Sufis
hold this individuation, which is but
another name for man's ver y
existence (Hasti), as being responsible
for all his woes on earth. They,
therefore, decry life and claim that, but
for this existence, man would have been
part and parcel of the Universal Soul, i.e.,
the Divine Spirit.
The renowned Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib has expressed this
thought very beautifully in the following couplet:
Haumai
By Gurdeep Singh Randhawa
Ha-umai deeragh rog hai Daaroo bhee is maahi.
(Ego is a chronic disease, but it contains its own cure as well.)
Na tha kuchh to khuda tha, kuchh na hota to khuda hota
Duboya mujh ko hone ne, Na hota main to kya hota?
(When nothing existed, God did exist. If nothing had come into
being, God's Being would still have been there; My very being has
damned me, Though it could have mattered little, Had I not come
into being.)
The Sufis denounced life (Hasti) to such an extent that at one
point Sheikh Farid, one of the foremost of them, bemoans:
Farida jih dihi naala kapia Je gal[u] kapah[i] chukh
Pawan na iti mamle, Sahan na iti dukh. (1381)
(O Farid, the day my naval-cord was cut, had, but my throat too
been slashed, I would then not have had so many trials and
would have been spared so much agony.)
The Sikh Gurus, however, do not subscribe to such a view of life
as this. The Fifth Nanak, the compiler of the Sikh Scripture,
Guru Granth Sahib, far from subscribing to such a view, rebuts it
when he says:
Farida bhum[i] rangawali, manjh[i] visula bagh[u]
Jo nar pir[i] niwajia, tinha(n) anch na lag. (966)
(O Farid, this world is a beautiful garden, Though it has some
prickly briars too.
Yet, one blessed by an enlightened guide, Shall steer clear
of these.)
The Sikh thought, thus, does not decry life. Instead, it pleads
for a fuller involvement in it; and at the same time cautions
Man against losing his balance and sight of a higher purpose
in life rather than indulge in baser animal pleasures. It takes
note of two facets of the concept of ego (Haumai) - the lifepromoting and the life-debasing. The first facet manifests itself
in Man asserting his individuality towards a nobler cause; and
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Eternal Voice
the other in succumbing to his morbid passions and thus,
falling a prey to all that is demeaning and degenerating.
Sikhism has all the use for the former, but altogether
decries the latter.
Yet, it does not require much probing to discover that
much of the progress in human thought and action in
world-history has been on account of individuals who, in
response to an irresistible call from within, took it upon
themselves to influence, shape and channelize human
energy and thought. Certainly, this could not have been
possible unless these leaders of human thought and action
had not had the potential and will to project themselves and
impose their will on others by carrying conviction with their
thoughts. What could it be if not a highly assertive projection
of their selves with a very live, healthy and vigorous ego? This
sort of an ego is life-promoting. It does not render its holder a
'pariah'. If anything, society is richer for the assertion of the
irrepressible ego of such people.
On the other hand, total suppression of ego or 'self' in man
would mean a negation of all that is assertive, innovative
and dynamic in the human spirit. An individual with such
a suppressed ego would lack the will and confidence
for self-assertion. He would be in no position to contribute
anything worth-while towards his personal or social
good; and would, at best, be something in the nature of a
'living vegetable'.
It is also interesting to observe that all human action is goaded
by two animal instincts inherent in man's very being: sex and
pugnacity. Pugnacity is fighting or combative instinct, which
goads man to strive to excel over others as also face situations
and accept challenges around him. Now, one is too well aware
that most of world's conflicts on individual, communal or
international plane have been there because of
these two driving forces which, when given
free-play, have lead to jealousies,
conflicts, wars, destruction and
bloodshed. Yet, when held in check
and sublimated, these have given
birth to man's finest achievements
in a r t, pa int ing, sculpture,
scientific discovery and even in
the emergence and propagation of
new faiths and ideologies.
However, when Haumai, which is
an expression of these two instincts
is not channelized into a higher
purpose, it tends to sink into a
degenerative process and makes man
self-loving, conceited, unduly ambitious,
exploitative and even aggressive. This is the life-debasing or
Feb - April, 2009
45
one's baser self, the higher traits find environment conducive
to the evolution of a nobler life.
a) God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
Man, thus, has to be God-centered (Gurmukh) rather than
be self-centered (Manmukh). The need is for an individual to
consciously surrender himself to the Divine Will and seek in
the Lord's Will a nobler purpose in life. This would ensure a
'sublimation' of the self-same ego and its diversion and
harnessing for individual as well as social good. It is,
no doubt, likely to prove to be a prelude to experiencing once
again that bliss, which Man stands bereft of, because of his
segregation from his Real Self - from a life in close
communion with the Supreme Master, our Sole Creator.
To recall a savant, Samuel Rutherford, “We are as near to
Heaven (that man has lost) as we are from self and far from
the love of sinful world.” Confucius makes it even more
explicit when he says, “Heaven means to be one with God”.
Yet another statement reads “Heaven is (nothing) but the
presence of God.”
b) Whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abashed; and he that humbleth
himself shall be exalted. (St. Luke, 14:11)
The above-mentioned two facets of Man's ego - a healthy one or
life-promoting one and the debasing one or the morbid sort - help
us to understand a paradoxical dictum of the second Nanak,
Guru Angad. This states that Haumai is a chronic malady; and
yet its cure too lies within itself:
Ha-umai deeragh rog hai Daaroo bhee is maahi. (466)
(Ego is a chronic disease, but it contains its own cure as well.)
What the Guru seems to stress is that unhealthy Haumai or
self-love or self-centeredness leads to denial of God, of His
Will and of all that flows from His boundless love and
benevolence. This causes Man's further alienation from his
Creator, Such an ego-centric person (Manmukh) lives in a
world of his own. He thinks of his own self only and of his
own advancement in a ruthless race for personal gains in
every sphere. He raises a wall between himself and others
and even between himself and his Creator; and therefore
turns oblivious of the feelings and interests of others.
He, thus, not only distances himself from his fellow-beings
but also from his Supreme Master.
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Such a person has no inhibitions in his dealings with others
and is prone to unbridled indulgence in the five traditional
vices, which flow from his aforesaid two basic instincts
'sex and pugnacity'. These vices are traditionally believed to
be: lust (Kaam), anger (Krodh), greed (Lobh), infatuation
(Moh) and arrogance (Ahankaar). The Manmukh or
ego-centric individual mars his own peace and spiritual health
as also the peace and harmony of others. Rather than
promote the peace and moral well-being of the society such an
individual becomes a malignant element. Like a lower animal,
he unhesitatingly obeys his baser corporeal instincts and
remains oblivious of the calls and questionings of reason.
In fact, he remains un-evolved mentally and spiritually. This is
how the materialistic and animalistic ego, if not channelized
properly, becomes a malignant affliction.
46
Eternal Voice
SHEROWA
Kufri Jyoti
FARMS
LIA
S
LSIAN
MA
The cure, however, is in Haumai itself, i.e., in its sublimation or
in subduing the life debasing ego. Once the morbid ego is
curbed a nd ha r nes sed, its hea lth ier counter-pa rt
automatically receives an impetus and improves the very
quality of man's moral and spiritual life. This can, however, be
brought about by man becoming God-conscious. As one sheds
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morbid ego. It is somewhat of this state that the two dicta in the
New Testament remind:
Maharani
Awal aakheey sift Khudaa-ei dee ji, jehrhaa kudrat de khel banaawdaa ei.
Shah Mohammada os taun sadaa daree-ei, badshaahan taun bheekh
mangaawdaa ei.
(First of all, praise be to God, the Creator of Nature and his ways
of working.
O, Shah Mohammad, always have His fear in you. He can make
the kings beg.)
The scene is the courtyard of an Aulakh Jat Sardar Manna
Singh's house at village Chaharh, Tehsil Jaffar wal, District
Sialkot (Now Pakistan). A group of girls playing over there
declare to play a game Raja and Rani. “I shall be the Rani”
announced a small smart girl. “I shall be the Raja” shouted
Jehan she became the Mahbooba, i.e., 'loved one' of Ranjit
Singh at first sight. The dream of Jindan was fulfilled.
Jindan's rise touched the peak when the King proposed that she
being more beautiful and possessing far better administrative
qualities than Noor Jehan (who ruled over Delhi on behalf of
King Jehangir) she should rule over the Kingdom of Lahore on
his behalf. She declined saying that it was her humble prayer
that my Sarkar (Lordship) may live long and she may always be
blessed with love of her dear Sarkar.
4 September, 1838 was the happiest day in the life of the King
and this queen, when they were blessed with a son who was
named Dalip Singh.
One is never aware
Takdir zanad khandaa, Tadbir kunad bandaah
(A person does not know what is in store for him in future and
luck laughs at his thoughts.)
Jindan's shining star started declining like setting of a sun
behind a peak for ever. Her Sarkar had an attack of paralysis,
from which he never recovered.
another healthy girl. By Raja the girls meant Maharaja Ranjit
Singh and by Rani a queen of the Maharaja. There was a big
laugh with remarks, “How can this girl be a Rani?” The girls
did play the game. Time passed. The budding beauty, who
acted as Rani, grew to marriageable age always dreaming to
be a Rani of the Maharaja and developing in herself the
desired qualities.
Manna Singh, who was holding a respectable position in the
army of Ranjit Singh, proposed the marriage of his daughter
Jindan
(1817-1863)
By Balwant Singh
Realizing that his end was near, the King called his Wazir,
Dhian Singh and asked him to hold Gita in his hand and thus
swear that he will be faithful to Khalsa Darbar and appointed
his eldest son Kharak Singh as his successor. After three days
on 27 June, 1839 as the sun set, Faqir Azizudin, the Foreign
Affairs Minister and a Hakim who was continuously checking
the pulse beat of the King, came out of the King's room and
raised his arms up announcing the demise of the King. Whole
of Lahore was dark the following night because no body
ignited fire even to prepare dinner.
The cremation date was announced as 30 June, 1839. Jindan
was not allowed to sit on the funeral pyre of the Maharaja to
become Sati by Rani Gudan (Daughter of Raja of Kangra, who
was holding the head of the dead King in her lap) and persuaded
her to care the young prince who was not even one year old.
Takdir zanad khandaa, Tadbir kunad bandaah
(A person does not know what is in store for him in
future and luck laughs at his thoughts.)
Within a span of six years and after several tribulations,
the destiny smiled at the young prince. With Hira Singh as
Wazir and Pandit Jallah as Advisor, Dalip Singh was
appointed Maharaja and Maharani Jindan as Regent of the
child Maharaja.
to the Maharaja. Initially the Maharaja was not interested in
marrying the young girl but due to the constant requests of
Manna Singh, he sent to village Chaharh his 'arrow and
sword' to which Jind Kaur was symbolically married and she
came to the palace at Lahore as Rani Jind Kaur. Because of
her beauty with royal qualities and manners better than Noor
The political history of this great woman now started. She
approached the Panchayats in the army and mobilised opinion in
her favour. The Panchayats started treating her as Mai Sahib of the
Khalsa Commonwealth and Dalip Singh as their King. Hira
Singh, Jallah, and Misr Lal Singh (who was controlling her
establishment) were eclipsed. This was a political victory for her.
Feb - April, 2009
49
Maharani was dismissed as Regent and given a pension of
Rs. 1,50,000. Henry Lawrence was appointed British Resident
and Raja Gulab Singh got Kashmir as a reward. Jalandhar area
was annexed with British territory.
By March, 1847, Maharani Jindan was deprived of all powers.
In August, 1847, the child Maharaja refused to confer the title of
Raja to Tej Singh. Blaming that this was due to the instigation by
Jindan and blaming her to plot a conspiracy to murder the
British Resident and Tej Singh. She was removed from Lahore
Fort to Sheikhupura Fort and separated from her son by force in
contradiction to Bhairowal Treaty. Her allowances were
reduced to Rs. 48,000.
Lord Dalhousie instructed Sir Frederick Currie, the British
Resident at Lahore to expel her from Punjab. Currie acted
promptly. Implicating the Maharani in a fictitious plot, she was
sent from Sheikhupura to Benaras, where she was under strict
surveillance by Major Macgregor. Again there was a case that
she was in correspondence with Diwan Mool Raj of Multan and
Raja Sher Singh of Attari who ultimately fought the Second
She cast off her veil (Parda) and assumed the sovereignty of the
Khalsa ruling Punjab on behalf of her son and appointed her real
brother Jawahar Singh as Wazir. She was reviewing the troops
and addressing them, holding the court and transacting
business of the State with manly qualities. The army esteemed
her so high that the generals declared that they will place her on
the throne of Delhi. She became the symbol of sovereignty of the
Khalsa, ruling Punjab in the name of her son. At this stage she
was the Valeria Messalina of Punjab (Valeria Messalina was a
Roman Empress and third wife of Emperor Claudius - a
powerful and influential woman).
The Dogras, since the demise of Ranjit Singh, were eliminating
all his successors one after another. They managed the murder
of his son Pyshoura Singh and blamed Jawahar Singh for the
same and killed him while inspecting army units along with
Maharani Jindan. Thereafter Misr Lal Singh was appointed
Wazir and Tej Singh as Commander-in-chief of the army.
In December, 1845 there was a clash of arms between the
Sikhs and the English due to hostilities of Major George
Broadfoot in cis-Sutlej area of Lahore Darbar and also due to
the policies of Lord Ellenborough and Hardinge proved by
papers in Public Records Office, London. This led to first
Anglo-Sikh War. The Maharani, the Regent exhibited
remarkable determination and courage during the critical
period of the First War with the British.
The war, which had nearly been won, was lost due to the traitors
Misr Lal Singh, Tej Singh and Gulab Singh. Treaty of
Bhairowal was signed on 16 December, 1846. As per the terms,
50
Eternal Voice
"You put me in the cage and locked me up.
For all your locks and your sentries, I got out
by magic…
Sikh War against the British. She had written a letter to Raja
Sher Singh, reading:
”The first thing to be done is to root out the stem and you must
continue to effect this by punishing the Firangees. Use towards
these Malechhas the same wiles and artifices that they have used
themselves and manage by some device to expel them from
Lahore…Encourage the Hindustanis as much as possible…My
thoughts night and day are fixed on you”
It seems the instructions to Sher Singh leaked and she was
shifted to Chunar Fort after confiscating all her jewelry worth
lakhs. She filed a case against East India Co. by appointing an
advocate in Calcutta but to no avail.
The Chunar Fort being on the bank of the sacred river Ganges,
she used to get water from the river for a bath every day through
her maids. On April 19, 1849, she kept a note in her cell reading:
"You put me in the cage and locked me up. For all your locks and
your sentries, I got out by magic… had told you plainly not to
push me too hard - but do not think I ran away, understand well,
that I escaped by myself unaided…When I quit the fort of Chunar
I threw down two papers on my Gaddi and one I threw on
European Charpoy, now don't imagine I got out like a thief."
She escaped from the fort in disguise of a maid and never
returned. She kept her shoes by the side of flowing sacred
water as if she had drowned in it. She and a maid wore dresses
as a saint and a follower and started traveling on foot towards
Nepal. There was alert all round Chunar and up to the border
of Nepal regarding her disappearance from the fort. All the
staff of the police stations was engaged in search of her. But by
spending nights in temples and at other religious places and
moving in day time she was able to cross the border on foot on
April 29, 1849. She then sent a message to Rana Jang
Bahadur of Nepal that Maharani Jindan, your friend's wife, is
coming to you for asylum.
The Rana personally came to welcome her at a place 25 miles
from Kathmandu with a Palki (palanquin) and escorted her to
the city with full royal honors on 29 April, 1849. She was
sanctioned maintenance allowance and given a residence at
Thapathall on the bank of river Bagmati. In Nepal, Rani Jindan
carried through her secret plans for the expulsion of the British
from Punjab. She was the guest of Nepal Raj till 1860. The
British Residency all along pressurized Nepal Raj to hand her
over to the British. Nepal Raj got tired and imposed undue
restrictions on her.
In 1860 Dalip Singh was allowed to come to Calcutta to meet her.
She left Nepal, joined her son in Calcutta in April, 1861. She was
practically blind at that time. She was pained to find that her
Dalip had lost Sikh identity and symbols. Dalip promised to readapt the same and fulfilled it. Mother and son sailed for
England on May 4 arriving in July 1861.
Realizing that her end was near, she asked Dalip that her bones
should not be buried in the earth of this country of merciless
cheats and they must go to her loving Punjab. She died at
Kensington, England on 1 August, 1863. Dalip brought the body
to Nasik, hurriedly cremated it on the banks of the River
Godavari and immersed the ashes (while still hot) in the river
because the Britishers did not like his presence on the soil of
India for longer time than required for the immersion
ceremonies. He was also not allowed to go to Punjab.
Bhekhari te raj karawai Raja te bhekhari
Dharti te akaash chraavai Chareh akaash giravai (1252)
(Almighty can make a beggar a king, and king a beggar,
He may elevate one to the heights of the sky, may also cause one's
downfall to the earth.)
Essence of Sikhi
BSR
Spiritually rooted person are free from contingencies of physical
pain or suffering. Nothing can shake their deep-seated faith.
In fact, the profound faith of such persons enables wavering ones
also to become strong. Such are the ones known as Gurmukh.
On the other hand, always unstable, always wavering, always
shifting their focus and affecting others also by, to waver, to shift
and to change are persons known as Manmukh. Reverence for
Gur-shabad and devotion to Vaheguru naam-simran gives one a
steady purpose which in true, enables one to retain an
undisturbed core in the midst of many trials.
Feb - April, 2009
51
Potato Tubers
A poem be read several times in order to ‘hear’ it and feel its emotions.
Growers
Message of hope
The heinous sinner
Ajamal
Was pardoned,
Have faith!
Eternal Play
The immoral Ganaka
Was forgiven
Have hope!
You became a cloud
Gaja, the elephant
Was saved
Have trust!
To spaceless whiteness;
Dhruva, a small child,
Attained the state of
Fearlessness,
On this horizon
Opening a window
You held the hand
To guide through a maze
Elemental and spiritual;
Not bound yet bonded
We share a vision
Where eternity plays;
Seek His help!
Recognize God to be the
Absolute dispeller of all sins,
Feel Him, ever and ever near you!
Which life should replay.
Symbol of Quality
baljeet kaur tulsi
reema anand
KHEHRA
-114-
-115-
Within and without
Its been a growth
FARMS
KF
JPGA- Regd. No. 0154
MALSIAN
JALANDHAR
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52
Eternal Voice
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The book of poems
The victory at Chappar Chirri brought an instantaneous eclipse of the 700 year old subjugation of a large area of
Punjab by the Mughals and Muslim marauders. Although the freedom was just for six years' duration, but in the
context of its impact, it was a blissful swing of glory. It was sufficient time to give to the Khalsa a taste of self-rule.
Sixty years later the Khalsa followed up by establishing Misls and then a regular sovereign rule under Maharaja
Ranjit Singh. Chappar Chirri, therefore, marked the first political assertion of the Khalsa.
The decisive victory of Banda Singh Bahadur over the Mughal army under Wazir Khan, the villainous Subedar of
Sirhind, marked the beginning of the end of Mughal supremacy in Punjab. Just two years after the merging of
Guru Gobind Singh with the Divine Light, the Guru's beloved Sikhs performed a miraculous spectacle of unseating a
well entrenched Subedar of Mughal empire, who was commanding a well organized, fully equipped army.
The professional manner in which Banda Singh Bahadur moved swiftly to consolidate his victories was just
magnificent. He established Khalsa Raj, minted coins of Guru Nanak-Guru Gobind Singh and established an
administrative capital at Mukhlaspur located between Nahan and Sadhaura.
Banda Bahadur's Decisive Battle of
Chappar Chirri
By Hardev Singh
a long spear. Another attack by Fateh Singh's sword cut him through
his shoulders. Then Fateh Singh lifted the body of Wazir Khan and
brought it before Banda Bahadur.
Loosing their leader, Wazir Khan's army ran back leaving the
field. Sikh army chased them all the ten miles and entered
Sirhind as victors. Banda Bahadur selectively punished the
villains. Wazir Khan's personal wealth was taken over by the
Sikh army. Dewan Sucha Nand's house was also ransacked
and he was punished because of his ugly role in the martyrdom
of younger children of Guru Gobind Singh.
According to Dr. Ganda Singh, the battle was fought between
May 12, and May 14, 1710 around the village Chappar Chirri,
nearly 10 miles from Sirhind. Wazir Khan was killed and his
body dragged in the streets of Sirhind and then hanged on a tree.
The palace of Wazir Khan and houses of his nobles like Sucha
Nand were ransacked. Money and valuables along with horses,
elephants, arms and ammunition were looted by the Sikh army.
After obtaining a complete surrender of the people, Banda
Bahadur selectively punished the villains. Hindus and Muslims
were treated alike and no hatred was displayed towards people
of other beliefs. He allowed the Muslims to pray in the mosques.
Banda Singh Bahadur had met Guru Gobind Singh in a
dramatic way on September 3,1708 and within weeks, the Guru
had selected him for an urgent mission to Punjab. Guru Ji gave
Banda Singh five arrows from his quiver along with his own
standard and a battle drum. Guru Ji also sent five Sikhs with him
and issued Hukamnamas to the Sikhs to join Banda Bahadur's
force as volunteers in his mission. The response to the
Hukamnamas was instantaneous and overwhelming. Sikhs
found it an opportunity to display love for their beloved Guru.
Many people, who had been suffering at the hands of oppressive
Mughal administrators and had been tortured by the bullies of
the Mughals, joined Banda Bahadur with great enthusiasm.
These included Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims. Peasants from
Malwa, Majha and Doaba came in well organized groups,
bypassing armed Mughals, who tried to block their movements.
They all headed towards Kiratpur. Sikhs also came from far off
places like Multan, Kandhar and Iran.
With an organized army, Banda Bahadur reached the
outskirts of Delhi. He looted the state treasury at Sonepat
and also groups of Mughal army carrying treasury at
56
Eternal Voice
Kaithal. He secured cash and horses in these exploits.
With more organized support he attacked Somana toward
the end of November, 1709. The enemy casualties were
beyond 10,000 and good quality of cash and horses came his
way. Later on the administrative blocks of Kapori and
Mustafabad were ransacked.
Banda Singh Bahadur specially organized himself to attack
Sadhaura, where Usman Khan was the Faujdar, a villain who
had earned Guru Gobind Singh's displeasure for killing
Pir Budhu Shah and his followers. The later had come to the
support of Guru Gobind Singh along with his two sons and
followers in the battle of Bhangani. After the battle, Guru Ji
had honored his contribution profusely.
After the victory at Sirhind, Sikhs in other parts of Punjab
gathered courage. They rose in large number in Jalandhar, Doaba
and threw away the forces of Faujdar Shamaz Khan from Rahon.
Banda Bahadur also advanced towards Gangetic valley and
successfully attacked Saharanpur, Ambheta and Nanauta. When
Bahadur Shah realized Banda's growing strength, he decided to
move personally and brought a big army. The Mughal army
displaced the Sikhs from Sonepat and some other towns. Banda
Singh withdrew towards Shivalik hills to consolidate his position in
the hills. He attacked Raja Ajmer Chand of Kehlur, who had
helped in consolidated attack on Guru Gobind Singh in 1704.
Other hill rulers also laid down arms and the Raja of Chamba
married his daughter to Banda Singh Bahadur.
Bahadur Shah's death early in 1712 at Lahore brought some
respite to Banda, who tried to consolidate his gains. Baaj Singh
was appointed the Governor of Sirhind. Fateh Singh, son of
Baaj Singh was made the chief of Samana. Ram Singh, younger
brother of Baaj Singh and Binod Singh were made the chiefs of
Thanesar and the territor y surrounding this town.
He appointed Sikhs from low castes like scavengers,
washermen, cobblers, etc, as Thanedars and Tehsildars.
Zamindari was abolished and the cultivator was handed over
the land, without any caste distinction of Hindu, Muslim or
Sikhs. However, Sikh ruling groups were warned to follow strict
code of conduct.
Bahadur Shah's death in 1712 had brought only temporary
respite. In another year, Farrukhsiyar became the Emperor
and he decided to stop Banda's advance with added vigor.
For some time Banda Bahadur had to limit his movements
along the foothills. When Banda Bahadur was surrounded by
the Mughal army at Gurdas-Nangal towards the end of 1715,
he did not accept the sound advice of Binod Singh to cut
through the besieging force and adopt guerrilla warfare.
This was a major failing in Banda's approach. He, thus, was
captured along with a large Sikh force and courted
martyrdom at Delhi on June 9, 1716 like a brave soldier.
For some time Banda Singh had avoided confrontation with
Wazir Khan because he was waiting for the armed Jathas
coming from Kiratpur. As soon as these Jathas joined him, with
combined strength he advanced towards Sirhind.
When Wazir Khan learnt about the advancing Banda Bahadur,
he started preparing for defence. He roused Muslim religious
leaders by raising the cries of Jehad. With full force he moved out
ten miles and arranged his army with guns positioned on one side.
On the other side, he placed elephants in the formation of a strong
wall so that the Sikhs could not attack him from the flanks.
In the first part of the battle, there were large scale desertions of
dacoits and thieves, who had joined with the aim of plunder. Sensing
weakness, Baaj Singh informed Banda of the situation. Banda was
furious and brought himself in the front line to attack Wazir Khan
with full force. At that moment Wazir Khan was struck by an arrow.
Banda's man pounced upon injured Wazir Khan and killed him with
Feb - April, 2009
57
How much sleep do we need?
By Jagjit Singh
ne difference between an animal and a human being is
that the former lives to eat while the latter eats to live.
While living, a human being is doing a series of activities,
which make the society better. A good human being engages
himself in making a living to run his household and at the same
time spends some time to do selfless service for the
betterment of mankind.
Just as we have to eat to live, we also have to sleep after a day's
work in order to continue our work the next day. Every activity
during the day tires the body. Every person, therefore, requires
to sleep for a reasonable time. This sleep rejuvenates the body
and prepares the person for the next day's task.
The period of sleep has to be reasonable so that one gets rid
of tiredness. Actual period of sleep varies with age. Children
need to sleep a little longer. They may also require a short
nap after their lunch. A longish sleep in the afternoon leads
to obesity. By and large, the time for sleep varies from five to
six hours. This period of sleep has to be adjusted so that our
daily routine is not disturbed. One maintains a healthy body
so that one's commitments of the day are performed with
adequate efficiency.
One gets good sleep if one keeps himself in mental poise by
living an ethical life. People with self-seeking, and self-indulging
mind with inflated ego are never contented.
One gets good sleep, if one keeps himself
in mental poise by living an ethical life.
Quality Potato Seed Growers & Suppliers
This hunger for more of everything - money, comforts and
recognition - fills their minds with negative instincts of hatred
and jealousy. Such individuals find it hard to sleep when the time
comes for them to get into the bed.
One should, therefore, learn to shed the negative values
of selfishness. For this, they should seek the company of
people who live a life of contentment. Sangat (company)
of God-conscious persons is a must for all right-thinking
people. Only the Saadh Sangat, who spare time for selfless
ser vice, can help us renounce the negative values.
The positive values in one's mind will soothe the ner ves.
Positive values, therefore, are a key to the enjoyment of daily
sound sleep, which prepares us for a new cheerful dawn.
Persons committed to self-less ser vice, devotion to duty and
reposing faith in the Supreme Being are generally known to
enjoy sound and blissful sleep.
TARSEM
P
PUREWAL
Purewal Farm
Resi.: Vill. Dhanal, P.O. Phoolpur, Distt. JALANDHAR, Punjab. Ph.: 0181-2791424 Mobile: 9876200003
Office: 687, Guru Tegh Bahadur Nagar, Opposite Gurdwara Sahib, JALANDHAR. Mobile: 9872900082
Our Sister Concern:
58
Eternal Voice
Purewal Real Estate & Land Developers
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O
T
his was the Hukamnama read out from Guru Granth Sahib
by Sant Attar Singh during the ceremonies at Delhi
Darbar held in 1911 at the time of the visit of King George V
(successor of Edward VII) to India. This was the third Darbar
held by the British in Delhi.
The first Darbar was held by Lord Lytton, the then Governor
General, in 1877 in Delhi - not in Calcutta the capital of British
India at that time. It was a grand show. Many rituals and
religious systems of the Mughals were adopted in this Darbar
as also in the two Delhi Darbars to be held later. Mughal
systems were followed during these Darbars to assert that the
British were the legitimate successors of the Mughals.
Another important reason for holding the first Darbar was
that Queen Victoria had proclaimed sovereignty over all the
inhabitants of the parts of India occupied by the British or the
states of the Rajas/Maharajas under them in November 1858.
In this Darbar, she was announced as Kaiser-e-Hind (Ruler of
India - successor of the last Mughal King). This was felt
necessary by the British after the farcical trial of the last
Mughal King, Bahadur Shah Zafar and his exile to Burma
(now Myanmar), where he died in prison.
G o d is O n e
The second Delhi Darbar was held in 1903 by Lord Curzon
(who later divided Bengal in two parts in 1905 but had to retreat
after the unrest caused in Bengal by the division). In this Darbar,
coronation of King Edward VII, successor of Queen Victoria,
was celebrated with pomp and show.
The Lord - The Super King
By Balwant Singh
Ko-oo Har samaan nahee raja. Ei bhoopat sabh diwas chaar ke jhootthe karat diwaajaa (856)
(The Lord is the super king. No other King or lord is equal to Him. The worldly Kings are
for a short duration. Their display of power and pride is also temporary and hence false.)
60
Eternal Voice
In the third Darbar the British made a very important and
historical announcement declaring Delhi as the Capital of
British India and emphasized that they were the successors of
the Mughals with George V, the successor of Edward VII, being
the King of the British Indian Empire. The celebrations held in
the presence of King George V, were extremely lavish. Apart
from drinks, dances, matches and various other entertainments
there were prayers held by various religious leaders, specially
invited to participate by reading out passages from their sacred
scriptures in a huge gathering of all the high officials. Sant Attar
Singh also took part in the prayers because Khalsa College
Committee of Amritsar as also the Sikh Maharajas of Jind,
Nabha, Patiala and other states requested him to represent the
Sikhs. Sant Ji reluctantly agreed ignoring his personal views
regarding the celebrations of the foreign rulers.
Sant Ji reached Delhi with the Punjab Chiefs. A colorful
procession of the Rajas and Maharajas from all over British
India started under the patronage of Guru Granth Sahib from
Patiala House towards the Pandal, meant for religious
ceremonies. Guru Granth Sahib was installed on an elephant
elegantly decorated to suit the occasion and Sant Ji doing the
Chavar (fly-whisk). This scene presented a picture of holiness
and overshadowed the show of the princes and other public in
the procession. It was a procession of its own kind in the
history of Delhi.
The elephant halted after entering the gate of the Pandal.
King George V stood up followed by Governor General
Hardinge (of Penshurt-not Henry Hardinge, who fought with
leaderless Sikh army at Mudki in December, 1846 in AngloSikh War I and had decided unconditional surrender and run
back to Calcutta till the traitors reassured him their help).
Thereafter all the British officials and the audience got up to
pay respect to Guru Granth Sahib. Maharaja of Jind carried
on his head the holy Granth Sahib up to the stage where it was
gorgeously installed on a Palki (palanquin).
Various religious personalities read out paragraphs, Slokas
and other relevant stanzas from their books/note books carried
with them. Then came the turn of Sant Ji, who respectfully
opened Guru Granth Sahib and read out the following sacred
hymn on this occasion of extraordinary display of imperial
power. The hymn rejected the false show of power of temporary
worldly rulers - God Almighty being all powerful forever:
Ko-oo Har samaan nahee raja. Ei bhoopat sabh diwas chaar ke jhootthe
karat diwaajaa. (Rahaa-o)
Tero jan ho-e so-e kat dolai teen bhavan per chhaajaa.
Haath pasaar sakai ko jan kau bol sakai na andaajaa.
Chet achet moorh mann mer-ei baaj-ei anhad baajaa.
Keh Kabir sansaa bharam chooko Dharoo Prehlad nivaajaa. (856)
{The Lord is the super king. No other King or lord is equal to
Him. The worldly Kings are for a short duration. Their display
of power and pride is also temporary and hence false (Pause).
How can your servant (devotee) waver, your shadow
(protection) is there for him in the three worlds. Who can raise
his hand against your humble servant or can speak against him
the least. Remember him, O my foolish mind so that melody
(of musical sound) may resonate and resound. Says Kabir,
do not have fears and doubts (The Lord is there to look after you
and thus protect you). He did so for Dhruv and Prehlad.}
Sant Ji explained the meanings of the hymn in details to the
audience after reading it out (though it was not difficult to
understand even by the British because all the British officials
used to learn Punjabi language and Gurmukhi script on being
posted in India since they had to deal with Punjabi soldiers).
As luck would have it, it took over 17 years to build the office
blocks, other buildings and shift the capital in full form. By that
time, in the year 1930 Indian National Congress held a
conference at Lahore (in which Baba Kharak Singh's role was
prominent) and passed historical resolution for full freedom.
As soon as this function ended King George V and Governor
General Hardinge stood with folded hands in front of Sant Ji
and thanked him.
The truth is that the Lord is the king of kings for ever and all
worldly kings with their pomp and show are temporary.
Feb - April, 2009
61
I
Bhai Sahib
Bhai Randhir Singh
n the first two decades of the last century, when the cry of
freedom was a dista nt drea m, decadence a nd
demoralization had corroded the foundations of religious soil
and political integrity of our people, Bhai Sahib Bhai Randhir
Singh emerged as the most brilliant star of a new epoch, an
apostle of the faith, who did not lecture or sermonize but
poured his thoughts and experiences through stirring divine
songs of Gurbani; a reformer, who did not change society by
precepts but by example; a revolutionary, who threw away
pride and position of an upper class family and plunged into
the most daring revolt against British Imperialism at a time
when even radical politicians did not dare to raise their little
finger for freedom and liberty.
For more than fifteen years (May 1915 to October 1930) Bhai
Randhir Singh was imprisoned for his involvement in the Gadar
(Freedom Revolt) movement. After suffering a terrible and
torturous prison life, and upon his release, Bhai Sahib was
bestowed with the great honors in the form of Hukamnamas by
all (then) four Takhts.
winnowing basket to his waist, He now finds it impossible
even to get into his hole.)
These words of wisdom pierced Bhagat Singh's heart like an
arrow. His belief and faithlessness was terribly shaken.
A magnetic influence changed his inner being.
History will bear witness to the fact the bones and the blood of
these real freedom fighters fertilized the arid soil of their
country's political field. It is a pity that those who have reaped
the fruits of their labors and those who wear the crown of gold,
unearthed from the valley of death of these heroes, have
deliberately, consciously and callously forgotten those who
carried the cross of freedom to the peak of liberty. But history
the greatest and ultimate judge will not forget them.
Before his release from Lahore prison on the evening of
4 October, 1930, Bhai Randhir Singh had a chance meeting with
the legendary freedom fighter Shaheed Bhagat Singh, who was
also lodged in the same jail waiting for the gallows. This is how
the young hero felt on receiving the holy guest, with tears rolling
down his eyes:
“When I first sent a message to you within this prision, that I was
anxious to meet you, I received your divine command to keep the
Sikh symbols (beard and hair). I am prepared to abide by your
wishes. I am really ashamed and am prepared to tell you frankly
that I removed my hair and beard under pressing circumstances.
It was for the service of the country that my companions
compelled me to give up the Sikh appearance and disguise myself
as a Sanyasi. So it is in association with petty-minded people that I
was compelled to show disrespect to my religious symbols, but
now I will certainly do whatever you wish me to do.
Freedom Fighter, Reformer, Theologian, Hero of Lahore
Conspiracy Case and first prisoner of Gurdwara Reform movement.
By R.S. Chadha
“I have gained much more strength. I will now die with great
moral and spiritual courage. Your exalted life has imparted to me
the elixir of spirituality and I feel its ennobling influence.”
The great sage, Bhai Sahib Bhai Randhir Singh, opined that
seeking eminence, honor and glory through propaganda are all
superficial, about which the Gurbani warns:
Kulhaan dende baavlay lainde vaday nilaj.
Choohaa khad na maav-ee tikal banhai chhaj. (1286)
(Fool are those who trumpet a man's glory. Shameless is he
who accepts such fame. He is like a mouse who has tied a
Eternal Voice
Essence of Sikhi
Shaheed Bhagat Singh after his meeting with Bhai Randhir Singh.
BSR
"Secondly, I would not have got so much publicity as I am
getting now….It is a fact that if I had maintained the Sikh
appearance and if I had professed myself to be an orthodox Sikh
and kept hair and beard, the non-Sikhs would not have written
a word about me.
(1878-1961)
62
Shaheed Bhagat Singh after meeting
Bhai Randhir Singh on the evening of
4 October, 1930 in Lahore prison.
'Marjeevra' is one who knows how to live and how to die. The term
'Marjeevra' is synonymous with Awareness of the Ultimate.
Free from personal vanity and conceit, the identity of a 'Marjeevra'
is defined with reference to the creative expression of the Cosmic
Energy. A state of awed wonder humility arises from this
identification with the Absolute. “Thou” embraces “I” in entirety.
Having outgrown even any need to say or ask, a 'Marjeevra' lives
with Cosmic Intensity.
Feb - April, 2009
63
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Remembering the Lord...
...all the time
On getting up in the morning
While at work
Visar naahee daataar apnaa naam dehau. (762)
Parabh kai simran ridh sidh nau nidh. (262)
(Never forget me, O Great Giver! Please bless me with Your Naam.)
While taking a bath
Kar isnaan simar prabh apnaa mann tann bhaye arogaa. (611)
(After the bath, remember the Lord in meditation, your mind
and body shall be free of disease.)
(In the remembrance of God are wealth,
miraculous spiritual powers and the nine treasures.)
When jealousy takes the better of you
Par kaa buraa naa raakho cheet. (386)
(Do not harbor evil intentions against others in your mind.)
While getting ready for work
When success inflates your ego
Jeh parsaad tera sundar roop. (270)
Sabh gunn tere mei naahee koei. (4)
(By His Grace, your form is so beautiful.)
(All virtues are Yours, Lord, I have none at all.)
While taking meals
While serving your parents
Tu daataa daataar tera ditaa khaavnaa. (652)
Vich duniya sev kamaa-ee-ai. Taan dargeh baisan paa-ee-ai. (26)
(You are the Giver, the Great Giver; we eat whatever You give us.)
While drinking water
Pehla paani jee-o hai Jit hari-aa sabh koei. (472)
(First, there is life in the water, by which everything else is made green.)
While moving out of home
Ghar baahar tera bharvaasaa Tu jann ke hain sang. (677)
(At home and outside, I place my trust in You; You are always with
Your humble servant.)
Visiting the Gurdwara
Guru Du-aare hoe sojhee paa-e-see. (730)
(Through the Gurdwara, the Guru's Gate, one obtains understanding.)
(Perform selfless service and
you shall be given a place of honor in the Court of the Lord.)
When mind gets distracted from Divine Name
Har ke naam binaa dukh paavai. (830)
(Without the Name of the Lord, you shall only find pain.)
For attaining knowledge
Parabh kai simran gyan dhyan tatt budh. (262)
(In the remembrance of God are knowledge,
meditation and the essence of wisdom.)
Before retiring for the day
Rain gavaa-ee soei ke divas gavaa-i-aa khaa-ei. (156)
(The nights are wasted sleeping, and the days are wasted eating.)
When enganged in studies
Vidya veechaaree taan par-upkaaree. (356)
(Contemplate and reflect upon knowledge and
you will become a benefactor to others.)
Compiled by: Inderjeet Kaur
“How you feel tomorrow depends on what you take today,”
reads one of the hoardings advertising a nerve-tonic. How true
are these words when applied to our daily life. Our tomorrows
depend a great deal on our todays. And our todays depend on
what we do with our mornings. The first thing we do on getting
up in the morning shapes the entire day. In most cases, we spoil
our mornings by getting irritated over matters of
trivial importance and our day is spoiled. We
must be careful to begin the morning well
and our day will be wonder ful.
There is a family of seven. At an
early hour of the morning, all the
seven meet together and begin
the day by picking up a line
from a scripture or a great
thought of a great one. They
ponder over it in silence for a
few minutes: Then every
member of the family is given
a chance to say something
about the day's thought.
The mother then lays breakfast
on the table, saying, “You have had
your breakfast with God. Now you
can have your bread.”
Breakfast with God should be the most
important item in our daily routine.
I read concerning a busy man: He always had some
urgent matters to attend to. In spite of his busy schedule, he
found time, as he said, to speak to God the first thing in the
morning and the last thing as he slipped into sleep.
Prayer is not a complicated affair; it is a very simple matter, as
simple as talking to a friend. It is so natural to discuss with a
friend your ambitions and aspirations; your plans and
programmes; and your failures and frustrations and ask him to
help you. Do likewise with God. He is our one true, abiding
Friend - the Friend of all friends. And he is available to us at all
times. We do not have to go to a particular place to
contact God. He is everywhere. All we have to
do is to close our eyes, shut out the world,
call him, and there He is in front of us! In
the beginning, we will not be able to see
Him. Let us be sure that He sees us.
In the beginning, we will not be able
to hear Him speak. Be sure that
He hears us. A day will come
when we, too, will see Him and
hear His Voice.
A question is often asked: “If
there is God and He is
Omnipresent, why can't we see
him?” An amusing story is told
us in the Talmud, the Jewish
scripture. It concerns the Emperor
Hadrian who said to Rabbi Joshua,
“You talk of God, but where is He? If
He exists, can you show Him to me?”
“That is impossible,” answered the Rabbi.
The Emperor insisted, “How can I believe in
God when I cannot see Him?” The Rabbi took the
Emperor outside: It was a hot summer's day. The Rabbi said,
“Look at the sun.”
By T.L. Vasvani
Early one morning, he was told that he had an important
visitor. “Let him wait in the ante-room,” he said, “I have an
appointment with God.”
“I cannot,” answered the Emperor. And the Rabbi said, “If you
cannot even look at the sun, which is but a servant of God, how
can you look at God Himself?”
We may have a number of appointments to keep every day. Let
us never forget to keep our appointment with God.
Indeed, God can be seen and heard. He is more real than all
things we perceive with our outer senses. To see Him, we need
to labor. We need to cultivate longing for the Lord, deep
yearning for the formless one. Long for the Lord even as a
lover yearns for his beloved; as a miser yearns for gold; as a
child yearns for his mother, whom he has lost. When God gets
the assurance that you truly need Him and nothing besides,
He will reveal Himself to you.
Everyday, preferably at the same time and the same place, let us
go and sit in silence. To begin with, for fifteen minutes, then
gradually the period may be increased to at least one hour. In the
silence, let us pray, meditate, engage ourselves in a loving and
intimate conversation with God and do our spiritual thinking.
68
Eternal Voice
G
Grammar
of life
By Bhagwan Singh
uru Nanak was gifted with a reflective vision and a distinct
aptitude for pious living. He fully grasped popular, often
conflicting creeds and practices of Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist,
Jain and other less known faiths. Having gained complete
knowledge of the Koran, the Hindu Shastras and the Buddhist
philosophy, he went through extensive meditation, which helped
him to develop clarity of vision. This was crystalized during his
concentration in seclusion on the banks of Wayeen river, where
he spent several days, including some time under water. There
he evolved a clear concept of the Lord Almighty, which became
the core of his philosophy. His vision of the Almighty forms the
opening lines of the Jap ji, his most important writing.
The Creator has been described by him as under:
Ik Omkaar satnaam kartaa purakh nirbhao nirvair
Akaal moorat ajoonee saibh/ng gurparsaad. (1)
(God is One, Truth is His Name, He is the Creator, Fearless,
without Enmity, the Immortal, Self-illumined and is Obtainable
by the Grace of Guru.)
Jap. Aad sach jugaad sach hai bhee sach
Nanak hosee bhee sach. (1)
(Chant and Meditate. True in the Primal beginning.
True through all ages. True here and now. Nanak says,
He shall ever be true.)
Guru Nanak asserted that the unfailing faith in God is the
everlasting touchstone of life. Traveling through the country and
much beyond, on foot, he visited almost all the important centers
of learning to spread his message and mission. The hub of his
composite vision was made up of truth, compassion and love for
fellow beings. During the years of wandering, Guru Nanak
propounded his spiritual vision in the form of Gurbani as part of
his replies to the questions raised by the people he met.
His vision in poetic form was sung by him and thus, more
Shabads of Gurbani (hymns) were created and preserved by his
chosen followers, Mardana. His own compositions as well as
those of his successors and some other saints were arranged in
Guru Granth Sahib by Guru Arjun, the fifth Guru. Guru Granth
Sahib has, therefore, become an ocean of spiritual wisdom and
worldly knowledge.
Guru Nanak saved his devotees from the accumulated errors
of the age and gave them the 'Word', the true pure thought for
devotion and excellence of conduct as their primary duty.
Both the 'Word' and the code of conduct are closely
enunciated in the collected wisdom in Guru Granth Sahib. He
very carefully, let his personal style of dissemination of the
direct transcript of the Words of God, which he gave to his
successors to be conveyed to his followers. Guru Nanak made
his mission applicable to all the people of all times and places.
As for himself, he projected his person as a humble messenger
of the Almighty, with Truth and Universal Brotherhood as his
doctrine. He preached monotheism, with one God who is kind
to his children. He had evolved a clear concept of a just society,
with all its intricate relationships. The composite vision of his
hymns as well as the hymns of others in Guru Granth Sahib,
therefore, provide a complete guide for living a truthful life. One
has to follow the deeper meanings of the Words of Guru
Granth Sahib and translate these meanings in one's own life,
In this way Guru Nanak's vision as well as that of Guru Granth
Sahib, which is on the same lines, constitutes a Grammar of
Truthful Life for the seekers of true path in this highly confused
and complicated world.
Guru Nanak had collected some of the hymns of the selected
contemporary saints, who followed the path of devotion and
realized the Divine within. Among the Bhagats, whose writings
appear in Guru Granth Sahib include Ramanand, who was a
Brahmin; Sheikh Farid and Bhikhan were Muslims; Ravidas a
cobbler; Namdev a washerman; Bhagat Kabir a weaver and
Pipa was a Raja of Gungraogarh. But one thing common among
them was that they all had realized the Divine Reality. Guru
Nanak had passed on the writings collected by him along with
his own writings to his successor, Guru Angad. The latter in turn
added some of his own compositions and passed the entire
writings to Guru Amar Dass. In this way, Guru Arjan, the Fifth
Guru arranged all the compositions in the form of a Granth
which is now called Guru Granth Sahib.
Gurbani has clearly laid down that Guru Granth Sahib is the only
true guide for the seekers, The only Grammar of Truthful Life:
Je sau chanda uggveh, Suraj charreh hazaar,
Eite chaanan hondiyan, Gur bin ghor andhaar. (462)
(If there are hundreds of Moons and thousands of Suns, Even
with that much light, one will grope in darkness, Without the
leading light of the Guru.)
Sufferings of Humanity
Like Lord Buddha before him, Guru Nanak was deeply
concerned about the sufferings of humanity. As an answer to the
enigma of universal suffering, the Guru propounded that every
human being can improve his intrinsic worth and quality of life
by realizing the presence of the Almighty.
Since the Almighty is all pervading, He resides everywhere, in
human beings, in animals and plants and even in non-living
objects. As the Creator resides in every human being, “He can
be realized by the grace of the Guru, through meditation on His
Divine name.” In other words, every person has the capacity to
realize the Lord by reciting His Divine Name every moment.
The process of coming close to the Almighty, he said, is by
repeated recitation, the Simran of His Divine Name.
In order to make it easy and natural for a seeker to remember
Him, the Guru gave to the seekers the Divine Naam, Waheguru,
Feb - April, 2009
71
meaning Glory be to God. Divine Naam is to be recited
repeatedly in the early hours of dawn, three hours before
sunrise, for a reasonable time.
the congregation of the like minded pious persons converging on
the Gurdwara:
Thus the Guru guides us on a path which is disease free, pain
free and free from mental tension.
proceed for the Prayer of the Holy 'Word'. Upon such a person
the Almighty casts his gracious glance and showers happiness
Amrit velaa sach naa-o vadi-aa-ee veechaar. (2)
Titt jaa-ai bahau satsangtee jitthai har kaa har naam bilo-ee-ai.
Sehj-ai hee har naam leiho har tatt naa kho-ee-ai. (587)
Code of Conduct
In the context of personal conduct the Guru has stressed the
subjugation and elimination of ego, which the Guru ordains is
the source of many evils:
(Meditate on His Holy Naam and reflect over His Greatness in the
ambrosial hours of the morn.)
The recitation of His Divine Name, the Guru said, will cleanse
the inner self of the seeker because it is in the clean body, mind
and spirit that the Lord resides. The recitation of His Divine
Name, therefore, emerges as the kernel of Guru's spiritual
vision. Through repeated recitation of His Name, Waheguru,
the essence of the Creator stays in the seeker's mind
unconsciously all through the day while he is engaged in his
normal daily routine as a householder. The Guru says:
Sabdai kaa niberhaa sunn too audhoo bin naavai jog naa ho-ee.
Naamey raatey an-din maatey naamey te sukh ho-ee.
Naamey hee te sabh pargat hovai naamey sojhee paa-ee.
Bin naavai bhekh kareh bahutere sachei aap khu-aa-ee. (946)
(This is the essence of the Shabad - listen, you hermits and Yogis.
Without the Name, there is no Yoga. Those who are attuned to the
Name, remain intoxicated night and day; through the Name,
they find peace. Through the Name, everything is revealed;
through the Name, understanding is obtained. Without the
Name, people wear all sorts of religious robes; the True Lord
Himself has confused them.)
Normally a human being is born with all the animal instincts
and lives like a human animal. Even after education, culture and
sophistication he retains the essence of a human animal. Under
the influence of a baser instinct the animal emerges in a human
being and his animal like action puts the respectable human
being in an unimaginably embarrassing situation.
Human beings, the Guru felt, are those distinguished living
creatures who can make appropriate spiritual effort to improve
their lives. The Guru reminds us that now is the time for a
human being to shed his bond with the low animal life and get
close to God to attain smooth perpetual life of an angel:
Bha-ee paraapat maanukh dehuree-aa.
Gobind milan kee ih teree baree-aa. (12)
(This human body has been given to you. It is your chance to
meet the Lord of the Universe, i.e., to realize the One, who
sustains the universe.)
Although the practice of reciting Divine Name has prevailed
among the followers of several faiths, the concept of Divine
Name as propounded by Guru Nanak has some specific facets
of deeper significance. Consequently the seeker takes
considerable time to realize the true hidden meanings of this
concept. For instance the Guru desires that the Divine Name
must be recited by the seeker in the company of Saadh Sangat,
72
Eternal Voice
(Go, and sit in the Sat Sangat, the True Congregation, where the
Name of the Lord is churned.
In peace and equipoise, contemplate the Lord's Name, Don't lose
the essence of the Lord.)
Naam, the Remedy
The Guru reminds us that Divine Name, remembering the
Almighty every moment of our lives and being immersed in
His Divine Word, is the remedy for all our ills:
Sarab rog ka aukhad Naam (274)
(His Divine Name is the remedy for all our ills.)
How does the Divine Name act as a medicine? The Guru
explains in Jap ji:
Pani dhote utras kheh
Moot pleeti kappar hoe, deh saboon layeh oh dhoye.
Bharee-ai matt paapan ke sang
Oh dhope Naavai ke rang. (4)
(Water can cleanse hands soiled by dust. Clothes soiled by urine
and muck can be cleaned by soap. The mind muddied by ill deeds
and unholy thoughts, Can be cleansed by Divine Name.)
With continual recitation of Divine Name we realize Him and get
close to Him. This feeling of closeness to the great power
ensures an increase in an individual's control over his mind
leading to censor over his speech and action. Common
unhealthy thoughts, feelings and impulses generated by habit or
by the influence of unhealthy company or by the negative
baggage from previous lives, are automatically held back,
suppressed and ultimately destroyed and eliminated.
Similarly damaging impact of one's negative genes from our
previous generations can be suppressed and eliminated in the
same way, by the recitation of Divine Name. Guru Nanak's belief
is based on a full merger of one's consciousness with the
Almighty. A seeker, however, is required to live the normal life of
a householder. He is to have a home, wife, children and a
profession to earn an honest living like all other persons in
society and set apart Daswandh (one tenth of one's righteous
earnings) for the spiritual benefit of society.
Guru has, in fact, provided for us a full-fledged Grammar of Life
so that we do not err in day to day life. We derive a correct path
for our living from Guru Granth Sahib and also from the lives of
the Gurus.
The Guru has also laid down for us a detailed Code of Conduct
to be followed. Guru Nanak's spiritual vision of human conduct
is anchored not only on high ethical values, but also on ever
improving personal behavior. He believed that the fabric of
society had been woven around Dharma (righteousness).
As observed by the Guru in stanza 34 of Jap ji, the World is the
place to practice Dharma. Further the Guru said that Dharma
born of Dayaa or Karuna (compassion), has tied up the social
fabric in the spiritual network of contentment, thereby providing
harmony and order to society. In stanza 6 of Jap ji, the Guru has
said that no positive attainment is possible without
righteousness. The seeker is gifted with gems like truth,
contentment and contemplation:
Matt vich ratan jawahar maanak Je ik gur kee Sikh sunee. (2)
(Within the mind are gems, jewels and rubies, if you listen to the
Guru's Teachings, even once.)
During his lifetime, Guru Nanak meticulously upheld the
supremacy of good personal conduct. For instance, when his
family wanted him to wear the traditional thread around his
neck he asserted:
Daya kapaah santokh soot jatt gandhee satt vatt.
Eiho jane-oo jee-a kaa ha-ee ta paandei ghatt. (471)
(Make compassion the cotton, contentment the thread, modesty
the knot and truth the twist.
This is the sacred thread of the soul; if you have it, then go ahead
and put it on me.)
Obviously the Guru clarified that if a person practiced
compassion, contentment, continence and truth in his life,
he lives a meaningful life.
Similarly, when his father wanted him to do farming,
the Guru said:
Mann haalee kirsaanee karnee saram pani tann khet.
Naam beej santokh suhaagaa rakh gareebee ves. (595)
(Make your mind the farmer, good deeds the farm, modesty the
water, and your body the field. Let the Lord's Name be the seed,
contentment the plough, and your humble dress the fence.)
In the concluding stanza of Jap ji, Guru Nanak has laid down
conditions of personal ethics for the realization of Shabad.
These are Chastity and self-discipline; Patience and selfmastering; intuitive wisdom and understanding; divine
knowledge and realization; fear of God; austerity; devotion and
love of God. With these qualities of personal conduct, one can
Ha-umai deeragh rog hai. (466)
(Ego is a chronic disease.)
The Guru has reminded us that love of one's body, riches and
women are all manifestations of one's ego. He tells the seeker
not to slander God-conscious persons, nor for that matter any
one, as also not to provoke others. The egocentric, the Guru
adds, is blind and ignorant and in the shadow of the smoke of
ego vanishes.
By way of conclusion, it may be stated that the seeker would be
ensured a bright face and respect where ever he goes if he
engages himself in Naam Simran to remain healthy in mind,
body and soul and also follows Guru's Code of Conduct.
The Guru further reminds the seeker that being involved in the
continued Naam Simran and staying in the realm of spirituality,
he will attain the spectacular refinement of soul, which gives the
seeker a distinctive glow on his face, 'te mukh ujjale', as concluded
by the Guru in Jap ji.
Guru Nanak has emphasized that only human beings have
been given the capability of finding a way to escape the
recurring process of birth and rebirth and get out of the never
ending cycle of eighty four lakh births and deaths. He is for
saving the seeker from the hands of Yama, who punishes him
because of his misdeeds during his life time on this earth.
The seeker begs the Guru to save him from this punishment.
Uttarakhand
Switzerland of India
By Capt. M.S. Kohli
The enchanting land of Uttarakhand, with legends of Lord Shiva, Guru Gobind Singh and
goddess Nanda Devi, has all the Himalayan assets, numerous snow-clad peaks, enchanting
rivers and glacial lakes, ancient shrines, ski slopes, beautiful hill stations, national
mountaineering institute, camping meadows, hundreds of trekking trails and above all a
government determined to turn it into a Switzerland of India.
The single uniting factor is the snowline that runs along the
horizon in the north like a golden wave, west to east. No surprise,
our ancestors divined in this scrawl the signature of God and
named it as Dev Bhumi, Land of Gods.
The Survey of India, in its scientific division of the Himalaya,
called this slice of territory the Kumaon Himalaya obviously
because the Kumaon mountains predominated in the
Surveyor's elongated eye. Kenneth Mason in his celebrated
book Abode of Snow describes:
"The Kumaon Himalaya is bounded by the Sutlej on the West and
North, and by the Kali (at Mahakali) on the east, which here
forms the western boundary of the independent State of Nepal.
In its passage through the Siwaliks at Tanakpur, the Kali becomes
the Sarda river of the Gangetic plain before joining the Gorgra in
the old province of Uudh. Left-bank tributaries of the Sutlej,
chief of which the two extremities of the region. Between them are
the Himalayan basins of the Jamuna - with its source near
Bandarpunch and its right-bank affluent of the Tons; of the
mountain feeders of the sacred Ganges - Bhagirathi, Mandakini,
Alaknanda, and Pinder; and the small Ramganga, which drains
the lesser Himalaya in the districts of Almora and Nainital.”
T
he enchanting land of Uttarakhand, with legends of Lord
Shiva, Guru Gobind Singh and goddess Nanda Devi, has
all the Himalayan assets—numerous snow-clad peaks,
enchanting rivers and glacial lakes, ancient shrines, ski slopes,
beautiful hill stations, national mountaineering institute,
camping meadows, hundreds of trekking trails and above all a
government determined to turn it into a Switzerland of India.
In 1988, to boost adventure-tourism to the erstwhile
Uttaranchal, with the help of Indian Mountaineering Foundation
and Air-India, I had organized 'The International
Mountaineering and Tourism Meet' in Mussoorie. It is an
interesting coincidence that at this Meet Shri N.D. Tiwari, then
the Chief Minister of U.P., was the chief guest. Again after a gap
of 17 years, when these Meets were being revived by the
initiative of the 'Himalayan Environment Trust', Tiwariji, now
Chief Minister of this new Himalayan State of Uttarakhand,
would preside once again over this Meet. This paved the way for
a systematic development of adventure-tourism in the State.
During my 50 years of climbs, excepting three Indian
expeditions to Everest and one each to Annapurna-III in Nepal
and one to Saser Kangri in Karakorams, my remaining 10
major expeditions were in the present Uttarakhand. These
include expeditions to Nanda Devi - both East and West - Nanda
Kot, Trisuli and an exciting trip up the Ganges “From Ocean to
Sky” using jet boats, with Sir Edmund Hillary.
Uttarakhand, comprising of the Garhwal and Kumaon
Himalayas, interlocked in an eternal embrace that in the
adventurer's eye, all demarcating lines disappear, making it
difficult to discover where one ends and the other begins.
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Eternal Voice
Topographically, Uttarakhand like Kashmir and Himachal,
reveals the same unmistakable architectural pattern: three giant
steps. The first begins as you enter from the plains subtropical
Shivaliks (the lower hills). Next you step into the lush-green
valleys and the lesser (or inner) Himalaya, beyond on the third
step, lies the barren grandeur of the outer Himalaya, the
towering wall above the lush plains of the Ganges.
Instead of straining ears to catch echoes from the Puranic past
extolling the fabulous beauty of Uttarakhand, thereby stretching
your credulence too far, you may better listen to what recent
foreign explorers have said of this land. Tom Longstaff has this
to tell you:
"After six visits to the snows, I still believe that Uttarakhand is the
most beautiful country of all high Asia. Neither the pristine
immensity of the Karakoram, the aloof domination of Mt. Everest,
the softer Caucasian beauties of the Hindukush, can compare
with Uttarakhand. Mountains and valleys, forests and alp, birds
and animals, butterflies and flowers, all combine to make a sum
of delight unsurpassed elsewhere.”
Another extraordinary Englishman, Frank Smythe, who made
several happy journeys in Uttarakhand, said in the same vein in
his famous work The Valley of Flowers:
“Is there any region of the Himalaya, or even of the world
which excel this region in beauty and grandeur? Where
else are to be found such narrow and precipitous valleys
and gorges, such serene vistas of alp, forest, snowfields and
peaks? This 'Abode of Snow' is rightly the goal of the heatenervated people of the plains. Never was there a
pilgrimage of finer accomplishments. It is the perfect
antidote to a static life, and it cannot fail to inspire in the
dullest a noble conception of the Universe”.
Perhaps Dr. Paul Bruton, the modern hermit in the Himalaya,
who ensconced himself in the heartland of Garhwal,
paraphrased all the poetry composed down the ages in praise of
the incomparable beauty of Uttarakhand and compressed
essence in a single sentence:
mountain - 'a sheer precipice a granite floating in the air').
Then here is an inescapable Panchchuli (gleaming indeed like
'five kitchen-fires' of the five Pandava brothers, heroes of
Mahabharata). Your roving eye would not of course miss the
Trisuli group with Hardeol (God's lamp) holding its own.
Glance down the second Crest Zone and your astonished eye
would find a cascade of gleaming diamonds - Bandarpunch
(monkey's tail), Swargarohini (pathway to Heaven Pandavas
are supposed to have followed), Sudarshan (Lord Krishna's
ultimate weapon), Srikanta and so on. On the Gangotri chain
shimmer more rare gems - Shivling (Bonington's fairy-tale
mountain), Thaley Sagar, Meru, Kedarnath, Bhartekhunta,
Kharchakund, Bhagirathis, Gangotri group and countless
others. The constellation is endless, so is fascination.
Mountains are there in a generous measure elsewhere too in the
Himalayas but what is delectably different in Uttarakhand is the
revelation the effulgence emanates not because of the incredible
“The Gods who made this land must have been beauty drunk.”
The thing to be remembered about Uttarakhand is that it is a
variegated land. To savor the full perfection of its beauty, one
has to explore it in its greater variety and depth. Depth, yes, as
otherwise you would be not unlike that bird-watcher who
fascinated by the plumage forgets to watch its owner.
As you set your sights, a breathtaking spectacle settles before
your vision-cyclopean mountains, range beyond range, stride
away into the horizon along white highways of glacial ice. Your
eye may miss the skyscrapers of neighboring Nepal but the
grandeur is there, an opulence on a grand scale. The magic of
seven thousand and six thousand meter high mountains fills
the panorama around. Superlatives roll off your tongue as you
begin to identify and single out peak after peak. In the Zaskar
range, dividing India from Tibet, you see the majestic Kamet
glowing golden, morning-evening, reflecting the fires its
surrounding glaciers burn with. Then, its satellites - Abi
Gamin, Deoban, Mukut Parbat and Mana - reveal themselves.
Towards the East, the Great Himalayan range lies studded
with such rare gems as Nilkanth, (Frank Smythe described it
as the Queen of Mountains because of its anatomical
symmetry), Satopanth (pathway to truth) and Chaukhamba
(four mighty pillars on which rests the throne of Badrinath).
Further southwards your eye would encounter a lovely vision
in the Sky-Goddess Nanda rising to her full stature,
announcing her presence in the fascinating realm she rules
over, an acknowledged masterpiece of wilderness not found
anywhere in the world, showing such lovely jewels from her
treasure trove as Dunagiri (a high lance of ice thrown in the
sky, raking the very edge of space), Mount Trisul (the threeheaded guard of the Goddess), Changabang (the shining
concentration of high mountains sheathed in snow and ice
crowding the landscape but from the names given to them, to the
Surveyors, after epical legendary heroes and heroines. Your
sense of mythology and history of the land comes alive. You do
not just see mountains but a galaxy of the great. The peaks take
on a beauty not noticed before.
It is undeniable that snows provide the cosmetics and glamorize
the mountain-scape. The snows do not only cover the naked
giants with ice robes but also vest them with awesome
immensity adding to their verticality and sharpening the edge of
altitude. But the way snows weave their web and create a multidimensional adventure arena in Uttarakhand outsteps
imagination. Just see.
Hundreds of mountains, hundreds of glacier robes! For
millions of years billions of snowflakes have fabricated these
Feb - April, 2009
77
taken together glaciers create a nacreous paradise not only for
mountaineers but high altitude trekkers, scientists and above all
skiers - specially, because untried, unexplored stretches lie
waiting. But wait, the denouement in the glacier story, most
stunning at that, comes only now.
Among the legends that have descended down the ages, the
loveliest is the one about the descent of Ganga from heavens to
the mattered locks of Lord Shiva, presiding deity of the
Himalaya, and thence down to earth to complete its sky to ocean
run. But reality is far more fascinating, the descent much more
dramatic than the fable.
In the deafening raucous roar, and adventurer hearkens an
unmistakable call and discovers a fascinating arena bristling
with possibilities more exciting than mountain climbing.
Those who read rivers say that this mighty torrential flow
incontestably makes one of the world's wildest white water
stretches. Between Joshimath and Deoprayag alone, the waters
rush down 5000 feet, full of froth, bouncing, blundering, tripling,
executing leaps and somersaults over big boulders and rocks,
forming waterfall, whirlpools, rapids, rollers and cold cauldrons
of seething cataracts, couched in setting of stunning scenery.
A white water adventure connoisseur fancies in this fantastic
flow many epic expeditions ever undertaken by man.
High up in the Upper Crest Zone from the ice caverns of
Satopanth and Bhagirathi glaciers, the melt waters trickle.
Like toddlers, they start on their exploratory walk as if in
trance not realizing the role they are destined to play. Then,
frightened out of their cradle beds by massive frozen bergs and
tones of slabs and soft snow sweeping down the mountain
slopes, they leap into each other's embrace and become a
babbling stream. Similar metamorphosis takes place
elsewhere too. A miracle follows:
glacier garments. As is their wont, mass and gravity have kept
tugging and pulling at these hundreds of robes, rumpling them,
ripping them apart in the process. Wind and sun, the eternal
sculptors, have been at work, carving out curves and contours
- classic features that give each mountain its identity. Heat and
cold, Nature's other instruments, weaving weather, have
created hurdles and hazards, arming each mountain. So, you
see, hundreds of mountains vye with each other in announcing
varying challenges to attract admirers and aspirants wanting
to climb up them.
Then, the snow magic moves with the moving glaciers.
Hundreds of glaciers descending down, run like rivers of ice,
advancing, spreading, swamping over whatever comes in their
way, miles upon miles. Why, the beauty of the snow turns into
fantasy! The glacier spread in Uttarakhand is stupendous. Let's
look back at the Zaskar range and down the upper Crest Zone.
Paschim (West) Kamet glacier begins its march from Mukut
Parbat (7242 m) and ends it at Khati, a run of 15 km, collecting its
tributaries - Uttari and Dakshini Chamirao and Khagyan
glaciers. The Purvi (East) Kamet glacier, starting from
Yavigamin Peak (7355 m) stops at Dobal after a 12 km run
holding Raykana, Uttari Raykana and Ganesh glaciers in its
embrace. From Gupta-Peak (5807 m), Bonkund glacier flows for
15 km to Mulya bank sweeping along 10 big and small babies
–Devban, Nagthuni, Uttari and Dakshini Nagthuni, Semkhrak,
Andardip, Khuliyagamya, Kosa, Raj, Dumagiri and Tipra (9
km) glaciers. Bhagirathi Kharak begins its roll from a 6984 m
peak and never looks back till Basudhara 17 km away. Similarly,
Satopanth glacier sweeps the floor for 12.5 km from a 6864 m
peak lashing its tail at Basudhara. Panpatia glacier goes 12.5 km
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Eternal Voice
from 6974 m dissolving 2.5 km upstream of Khirganga, seizing
its tributaries - Grime, Kalapani and Puna glaciers. Arwa
glacier originating from a 6291 Peak, picking its tributaries Vidun and Bagni glaciers, spread for 12 km to the north of Arwa
Pahar (5873 m). Down in the Lower Crest Zone, Bandarpunch
glacier, originating from Batiakhund Bamak (6291 m Peak),
disgorges Tons river after a 9 km run. Surprisingly, the longest
(25 km) of all icy craters is the Gangotri glacier that descends
from the height of 7138 m from the NW slopes of Chaukhamba
peaks and with no holds barred, surges along picking
Chaturangi glacier in a glaucous gait.
This is not the whole story. The long and short of it all is that
Uttarakhand is one of the most glaciated regions and the glacier
maze is the most amazing. What we are trying to say is that
The joint stream, flowing fast and furious, reaches Alkapuri, the
place where Kuber, the God of Wealth, resides, sitting pretty on
its hidden wealth, and assumed a common name, Alaknanda.
After about 8 km, to the east, they are joined by Saraswati that
comes screaming from the Mana Pass, throwing its lot with
Alaknanda, willingly losing its own identity, marking the
confluence at Keshavprayag. Further down, Bhuinder Ganga
flows in and empties itself into Alaknanda at Pandukeshwar
Khir Ganga follows suit. At Badrinath, Rishiganga too makes a
common cause with the all-aboarding Alaknanda. More the
merrier. At Joshimath, Dhauli Ganga, careering all the way from
Kamet glacier, flings itself into Alaknanda's arms striking the
confluence at Vishnuprayag. Nandakini, flowing from the
glacier near Nanda Devi, surrenders itself to the now swelling
river, Alaknanda, at Nandprayag. Pindar river from the Pindari
glacier too embraces Alaknanda at Karanprayag. Mandakini,
from the majestic Kedarnath pays its homage at Rudraprayag.
Then, at Deoprayag, bloated Alaknanda, decides to bow out of
the merger race, does penance by committing itself to
Bhagirathi's care, the latter rushing down from Gaumukh and
glorifying the vent by assuming the name Ganga.
What we have witnessed thus far is only half the adventure
meant for those who are made of sterner stuff. The other half
stalks lower down - in the hills, forests, streams - where Alpine
wonder with rainbow provocations dwell.
For a trekker and a hi-fi walker there are countless vertical and
horizontal trails that bring one into contact with glades and
glens, forests and meadows, hills and waterfalls - nature's
show- windows.
For a wildlife lover the richness and variety of fauna is fabulous
as could only be found in a book of fairy-tales.
For a beauty watcher there are innumerable sequestrated
haunts consecrated by nature to the worship of beauty where
one can find, as Symthe did in the Valley of Flowers, “sanctuary
for spiritual rejuvenation.”
For a pilgrim who holds the credo, like Brunton, that in life “it is
not matter that matters”, there are endless avenues that lead to
the very edge of stillness, yet make the silence articulate.
So you see, it is not just descent of a mighty river from the sky, it
is a dramatic river rally - several daughters of the mountains
roaring out of the mighty mountains lifting all their own
tributaries on their way, rumbling, tumbling in their headlong run
to the ocean, hating to be harnessed, cutting their way through
granite gorges, meandering for miles upon miles through
valleys, now narrow, now broad, all the while orchestrating a
raucous mountain melody that heard close by strikes awe in a
mortal's mind but from distance resounds like the recitation of
purest poetry of the Vedas, Song Celestial, over bucolic banks,
through the valleys and across the hills.
Feb - April, 2009
79
Baru News
February - April, 2009
Lakes, waterfalls, streams and rivers lend animation to
the landscape. Seasonal monsoons bring magic - primeval
forests get their wash and gleam greener. Spring and
autumn carry their own basketfuls of flowers of every
blush and tint transforming everything into a cornucopia
of colors.
A Quarterly Newsletter of The Kalgidhar Trust
And the rhythm of night and day at display - spilling of colors
at sun-up and sun-down, sunbeams breaking through the
prisms of snows and ice during day-time - spraying all the
colors of rainbow and hanging threads and bands of light,
festooning distances with little suns. And above everything
else, the all- per vading purple haze and the sound of music
vibrating the air with joie de vivre!
For an anthropologist, a constellation of culture lies squeezed
in the hills - in sacred shrines, in the ancient seats of religion
and culture, at river confluences, in fairs and festivals, in the
colorful life of the simple hillfolk to whom folklores captured in
song and dance are like heartbeats. There is no hillside, no
village, no valley, no mountain, that's without some sacred
memory or which is not associated with some God, some
celestial being, some sage, some saint, some hero, some
heroine of mythology.
Such is Uttarakhand, the elevated world far beyond the
imagination of Man. You have to see it and feel it. And its
astringent influences will steal over you, suffuse you and
convince you that it is no less exciting than Switzerland.
The Kalgidhar Trust organizes Gurmat Camp at Gurdwara Sri Sachkhand Sahib, Roseville, CA, USA
A month-long Gurmat camp for the propagation of Sikhi and Punjabi language among the young generation of Roseville was
organized by The Kalgidhar Trust at Gurdwara Sri Sachkhand Sahib, Roseville, California. This camp was organized with the
cooperation of American Sikh Foundation of North California and Bhai Jarnail Singh, Head Granthi, Gurdwara Sri Sachkhand
Sahib, under the supervision of Bhai Harpal Singh of Baru Sahib.
A total of 55 youngsters participated in this camp, where they learned Punjabi language, Gurbani and Kirtan. The Punjabi
language to the campers was taught in just 15 days using the new teaching techniques. One of the campers, Barbara, an
American, surprised everyone by learning Punjabi language in a very short time.
On the penultimate day of the camp, a Gurmat quiz was organized to test the
campers' knowledge of Gurbani. To make this quiz more interesting, the
campers were asked several questions by showing visuals related to Sikh history,
Gurbani and Guru Granth Sahib.
On the concluding day, the campers enthralled the audience with their fine
performance of Kirtan, reciting religious poems and speeches on different topics,
which they had learnt in just a few days at the camp. All the participants of the
Gurmat Camp were awarded prizes and certificates.
Bhai Harpal Singh, an experienced Divinity teacher and instructor from Baru
Sahib came especially from India for this Gurmat Camp. He apprised the
Saadh-Sangat with the various philanthropic activities and establishment of educational institutions of The Kalgidhar Trust.
All these institutions are being run on donations from the Saadh-Sangat worldwide. He also informed that Annual Summer
camps (Akal International Youth Camps) held at Baru Sahib are very popular among the NRI students. The Akal International
Youth Camps for USA and Canada students is being organized in July 2009, and for the UK students in August 2009.
The Kalgidhar Trust has organized several Gurmat Camps in recent years for the propagation of Gurmat, Gurbani Kirtan
and Punjabi language among the young generation of NRI children.
80
Eternal Voice
Sant Samagam - 2009 celebrated with reverence and devotion at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib
The annual Sant Samagam in the sweet remembrance of Sant Attar
Singh was celebrated with reverence and devotion at Gurdwara Rakab
Ganj Sahib, New Delhi on 21-22 February, 2009.
On day one, the program began at 2.30 a.m. with Naam Simran and
Nitnem followed by Sukhmani Sahib, Asa Di Var, Kirtan and Gurmat
Vichar and concluded at 10.45 p.m. Similarly, on the second day, the
program started at 2.30 a.m. and concluded at 5.30 p.m. Asa Di Var in
Asa Raag was rendered by the students of Akal Academy - Baru Sahib
on traditional string instruments (Tanti Saaz). Amrit Sanchar was
conducted on Sunday, 22 February at 10 a.m.
On both the days, a large number of devotees paid obeisance in the
Samagam. The devotees paid rapt attention and enjoyed the heavenly
bliss listening to spiritual discourses, preachings and devotional music
rendered by famous Ragi Jathas, Dhadi Vaaran and Gurmat Sangeet by the students of Akal Academy - Baru Sahib on
traditional string instruments (Tanti Saaz). The participating Ragi Jathas were Bhai Guriqbal Singh (Gurdwara Mata Kaulan
Ji, Amritsar), Bhai Davinder Singh Khalsa (Khanna Wale), Bhai Manpreet Singh Kanpuri, Bhai Hardeep Singh, Bhai Kultar
Singh, Bibi Santosh Kaur - Baba Nirmal Singh (Bhaura Sahib, Hapur), Bhai Amrik Singh Zakhmi, Bhai Gurbachan Singh
Laali, Bhai Ravinder Singh, Bhai Kulbir Singh Kanwal, Bhai Harinder Singh (Romi Vir Ji) and Principal Madhup Mudgal
(Gandharv Mahavidyalya). Dr. Khem Singh apprised the Sangat with
the life history of Sant Attar Singh and Sant Teja Singh and various
philanthropic activities being run by The Kalgidhar Trust for the welfare
of humanity. The spiritual discourses were delivered by Giani Pinderpal
Singh on both the days.
Baba Iqbal Singh enlightened the Saadh Sangat with his Gurmat
Bachan on both the days. He said, "Education and literacy are two
different terms. The worldly education makes people literate, but valuebased education makes people good human-beings creating a better society
to live in." Exhorting the youth to shun drugs, he said, "The sixth river of
alcohol and drugs flowing presently in Punjab is eroding the moral fibre of
younger generation. We all must strive to build an ideal society free of
vices." He added, "The vision of setting up of 150 new schools, 25 colleges
and the Eternal University is the project of the entire community and it
would require the understanding and support of all. Impressed with the standard of education in the educational institutions being run
by The Kalgidhar Trust, the Himachal Pradesh government has given its approval for the establishment of Eternal University. People
from several states are offering their land as donation for the establishment of Akal Academies." He urged all to join hands with The
Kalgidhar Trust for tackling the various social evils by rendering their time,
expertise and knowledge to accomplish this gigantic task.
A blood donation camp was also organized in which 52 devotees donated
blood for the needy patients. Several donors registered themselves for
donating blood in any emergency in future.
A Pictorial Exhibition depicting the important events from the life history
of Sant Attar Singh and Sant Teja Singh, various ongoing philanthropic
activities and future projects of The Kalgidhar Trust, was held and a large
quantity of Gurmat literature was obtained by the visiting devotees,
including the 'Jiwan Katha of Sant Attar Singh Ji', written by Sant Teja
Singh (in two volumes) and 'Sikh Sidhant' written by Baba Iqbal Singh.
The latest events, including the commencement of construction and
admission for junior classes in newly established academies, Akal College
of Engineering & Technology, Akal College of Nursing, Akal Education
Fund, Akal Rozgar Yojna, Academic performance of students, Youth Camps etc. were also displayed in the exhibition.
An ARY (Akal Rozgar Yojana) stall was also organized, where girls and women from ARY centers being run at and around Cheema
Sahib displayed their weaving, cutting, tailoring, stitching and embroidery skills learned at ARY training centers.
The Sangat was very appreciative of this initiative of The Kalgidhar Trust empowering women to be self-sufficient and selfdependent.
This annual program is a regular feature at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib for the last 25 years. Thousands of devotees from
different parts of India and abroad participate in this purely spiritual Samagam held with the whole-hearted co-operation of Delhi
Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee.
Akal Academy Surrey teacher sets a new
Guinness Book World record for the longest beard
Surrey resident Sarwan Singh
achieved a feat, which every
Sikh is going to be proud of. He
set a new Guinness Book of
World Record by having the
longest beard. Singh's beard was
measured at 2.36 meters or 7.7
¾ft, at a jam-packed, Akal
Academy in Surrey BC, on
November 11, 2008.
"This is history in the making,"
said Dr. Pargat Singh Bhurji, the
principal and president of Akal
Academy Surrey, where Singh is a popular and respected
music teacher.
"Mr. Sarwan Singh is a devout, humble, spiritual man and
his beard is considered as a divine gift. He's blessed, he's
gifted. Hair is a divine gift. So this is a divine gift from God,"
said Dr. Bhurji.
"I have a feeling of divine happiness and I am thankful that
God has chosen me for the gift of the longest beard," said
Sarwan Singh.
Sar wan Singh's family told CBC News they were
exceptionally proud of his achievement. "Not only to me,
he's inspiring to the Sikh community," said his young son
Bikram Singh.
"Whatever God gives us, it is just our job to take care of that.
Don't cut it or don't do anything to it," Singh's daughter
Gursimran Kaur told CBC News.
Saka Muktsar enacted by Akal Academy students
at Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib, Delhi
A unique light and sound
stage-show was held at
Gurdwara Rakabganj
Sahib, New Delhi on 20
December, 2008. Delhi
Sikh Gurdwara
Management Committee
along with Akal
Academy, Baru Sahib
and Mata Jai Kaur Public School, Delhi brought this mega
event to the doorsteps of Delhiites. It was a full house
attendance in the precincts of parking lot in front of Lakhi
Shah Vanjara Hall.
S. Paramjit Singh Sarna, President of DSGMC kickstarted
the event and exhorted the Sangat to shed evils and create a
way of life that Guru Nanak desired in every Sikh.
Saka Muktsar - the saga of the return and redemption of the
40 'deserters' from Guru Gobind Singh's army after the battle
of Khidrana left everyone in tears. The stellar role of
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Mai Bhago, who inspired the 40 to rejoin the Guru and lay
down their lives in spite of being demoralized and famished of
hunger, instilled a sense of awe in the audience.
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This poignant and emotive play was performed by 70
students of Akal Academy, Baru Sahib.
'Boli Hai Punjabi Saadi' - a thought-provoking play
emphasizing on the use of Punjabi language by the generation
next enacted by the students of Mata Jai Kaur Public School,
Delhi was also another attraction of the evening.
It was felt by all that not only more such programs should be
created for saving the Sikh masses from erosion of values but
also more such academies should be established in North
India as a savior of the Sikh youth from the social malaise.
Gurmat Camp in Michigan
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The Annual Subscription of our original subscribers
of February, 2008 has expired.
To continue receiving their favorite copy of 'Eternal Voice',
they are advised to remit a fresh Annual Subscription of Rs. 300/$30
Alternately they can, in their own interest,
switch over to Life-Membership by sending a sum of Rs. 2,000/$200
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Sangat at the Gurdwara Sikh Society, Michigan Heights,
witnessed one of its proudest moments when youth of the
area performed during a special Diwan to mark the
culmination of an extremely successful Gurmat camp.
The camp was organized by The Kalgidhar Society,
Baru Sahib, with whole-hearted support from the local
Sangat and the Gurdwara management. The Society was
represented by Bhai Harpal Singh, a specially trained Divinity
teacher, who supervised this Gurmat camp.
The success of this camp led to another camp in the area at
the Madison Heights Gurdwara. Various competitions were
organized during the course of the camp to motivate the
young participants. Children showed great enthusiasm while
competing during Dastar-tying competition, quiz on Sikh
history, Gurbani recitation and Kirtan.
The quiz on Sikh history was the particular highlight of the
evening. Sangat was so mesmerized by this entire initiative
and particularly by their kids' performances during the
closing events that not even a single person left the place
during the entire 5-hour show.
Each participant was given a motivational award. Winners in
various competitions were given handsome cash prizes and
beautiful trophies. In the end, the Gurdwara management
comprising S. Jasvir Singh and S. Kahlon offered a token of
respect and gratitude to Bhai Harpal Singh and also thanked
the Sangat and the teams, who had gathered at the Madison
Heights Gurdwara for this grand event.